London-based materials science company, PANGAIA, is introducing two new fabric alternatives to replace overproduced traditional materials such as cotton. Made entirely from plant fibers and agricultural waste, the two new blends of fabric are PLNT FIBER™ and FRUT FIBER™.

PANGAIA aims to shift the fashion industry away from the widespread usage of freshwater-intensive non-organic cotton and fossil-fuel synthetics with new sustainable materials. PLNT FIBER and FRUIT FIBER are part of PANGAIA’s continuous project of "high-tech naturalism" on its goal to become earth positive by 2023.

To ensure transparency, each product manufactured with these materials will have digital passports that can be accessed via QR codes and provide buyers with information about each garment's unique journey.

PLNT FIBER is manufactured using fast-growing and regenerative plant sources which don’t require any pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation to grow such as eucalyptus, bamboo, Himalayan nettle, and seaweed.

FRUIT FIBER is produced from bamboo lyocell that has been sustainably sourced with fibers from pineapple and banana leaves that are oftentimes sent to landfills or burned.

The materials have yet to receive Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), owing to the “complexities of the proprietary blends of fibers,” which necessitates further development based on bespoke research and development to ensure that the results are valid and reliable and can stand up to scrutiny.

The brand spokesperson said that the addition of PLNT FIBER and FRUIT FIBER to Pangaia's portfolio of material innovations represents a true embodiment of the brand's commitment to its material philosophy — ‘high-tech naturalism’, which involves utilizing the abundance of nature augmented by high-tech processes, sustainable chemistries, and processes to expand the functionality of textiles.

Brand partners will have access to the sustainable materials, which will be featured in exceptionally soft PANGAIA classics goods accessible on PANGAIA's website.