The process of brewing kombucha typically requires a thick, jelly-like substance called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), which floats on top of the kombucha liquid. The SCOBY is key to making the beverage, as it helps with the fermentation process by converting sugars in tea into the acids and carbonation that turn it into kombucha.  

While it may look and feel unpleasant, cellulose derived from this bacterial gloop has shown to be extremely useful, creating wallets and canvases for painting. Extracting cellulose from bacteria was first discovered in 1886, when its primary applications were in food and beverages. Now, it is being studied for its potential in creating clothing. 

Celluloses are commonly found in plants like cotton and flax, which is used to produce linen. However, it has been proven that the type of cellulose derived from bacteria (such as SCOBY) has the advantage of being about ten times stronger than cotton. It’s also pure, biodegradable, highly absorbent and naturally antibacterial.  

These traits make it an ideal material for clothing with the potential to replace cotton and leather – materials which require significant resources to produce. As a more sustainable material, research has shown that bacterial cellulose can be used to create clothing, wallets and even in biomedical use such as gauze bandages, due to its natural antibacterial properties.   

Unlike traditional fabrics, which are cut from large sheets, researchers discovered the material can be grown directly into shapes like clothing pieces, reducing 15-20 per cent of material wasted by cutting fabric. It can also be dyed and treated to create different textures. With the potential to revolutionise the fashion industry, it could offer a sustainable alternative to highly polluting textile production methods used in the fashion industry. 

There remain significant challenges to overcome if the material were to become a mainstay of the clothing industry, including scaling up production to meet the high demand of the fashion industry. Currently, the fermentation process needed to create bacterial cellulose is water-intensive and the material’s durability still isn’t on par with some synthetic fabrics in the market. Despite this, researchers are hopeful that this bio-based fabric could play a major role in reducing the industry’s reliance on textiles that are harmful and have lasting negative impacts on the environment.

Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.