TômTex’s model aims to tackle two problems at once: finding biodegradable materials for garment manufacturers and upcycling mountains of marine waste.

In 2021, global shrimp production surpassed 4.5 million tons, up about 50% from 2015.

For any given catch, roughly half of the volume consists of shrimp shells, which are discarded as processing byproducts.

While chitosan derived from discarded shrimp shells has long been deployed in wastewater treatment and food supplements, its use in textile production has been virtually nonexistent.

Producing one square meter of TômTex’s shrimp leather emits around 14 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, based on the company’s estimates, slightly below the carbon footprint of synthetic leathers and less than 15% of the emissions associated with cow-skin leathers.

While it’s relatively easy to access chitosan derived from shrimp shells, which makes up roughly 80% of TômTex leather formula, the company still needs to find consistent suppliers for its other ingredients.

For now, alt fabrics make up just a small fraction of the apparel industry.

But shifting consumer sentiment, rising regulatory pressure and climbing fossil fuel prices are gradually leveling the playing field, says Marguerite Le Rolland, an analyst with consultancy Euromonitor International.

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