General
Bio-based fibers are bioplastics. They are made with vegetals (castor oil, wheat, corn, potato etc.). They can even present sports performance superior to synthetic fibers. The advantage is that they therefore come from crops which are replenished each year, unlike oil, which is not sustainable and polluting. Certain crops, in particular the cultivation of castor, also require very little water and do not take the place of food crops.
At Verjari, we focus a lot on all bio-based fibers, derived from biomass. This is the case for the inner layer of the S-café jacket (October 2021), made from recycled coffee. This is also the case with castor oil for example, used on the Biorace t-shirt (October 2021), made in Portugal. The t-shirt is made from 92% castor oil. The yarn is made in Italy. It is a polyamide, like nylon, with even better performance properties, with the difference that it does not come from fossil fuels, unlike traditional nylon. The cultivation of castor does not encroach on food crops, so it is interesting from an ecological point of view. The irony of the story for biomass is that we have actually known how to transform it for a long time, we did not start dressing in the 19th century! It was simply the arrival of oil that changed everything economically for the manufacture of clothing. It's sort of going back to basics today, with a little more performance.
Technicality for sport: the case of EVO Fulgar fiber from castor oil
Used for the future Biorace Verjari t-shirt, this fiber biobased from castor oil reduces the weight of the products by 25% compared to the same product in 100% polyester. It allows 50% faster drying than a 100% nylon product. It is bacteriostatic (anti-odor) and also allows a superior quality of elasticity. Finally, it has thermoregulatory properties. It thus makes it possible to maintain a more pleasant internal temperature of the garment depending on the external conditions.
