Designers create dissolvable textiles from gelatine

The ‘biofibres’ can be dissolved into hot water in minutes to an hour. The researchers said that the aim is to dissolve an item of clothing, recycle the gelatine to make more fibres and, ultimately, create new clothing. 

The study aims to tackle the growing problem of textile waste globally, as well as create new paths for fashion.

The researchers' DIY machine is small enough to fit on a desk and costs just $560 to build.

“You could customise fibres with the strength and elasticity you want, the colour you want,” Eldy Lázaro Vásquez, a doctoral student in the ATLAS Institute, said in a statement. “With this kind of prototyping machine, anyone can make fibres. You don’t need the big machines that are only in university chemistry departments.”

While the trend of ‘smart textiles’ – for instance, clothing that includes sensors that can connect to your smartphone – are impressive, the researchers said that the clothes are not yet recyclable, as it is difficult to separate the material from copper yarns and electronics.