April 14, 2021
A photosynthetic-coated jacket from Post Carbon Lab.
Instagram/postcarbonlab
What role can fashion play in tackling climate change? A slogan T-shirt here, a recycled swimsuit there? How about harnessing biotechnology to create clothes that suck in carbon dioxide and release oxygen?
That’s the big idea behind Post Carbon Lab, an East London design research studio founded by Dian-Jen Lin and Hannes Hulstaert. Alongside their sustainability consultancy, they provide piloting services of microbial dyeing and a process they call photosynthetic coating, which uses algae and cyanobacteria to form a living layer on fabrics.
While it varies between items, the ballpark figure is that a T-shirt treated with this coating releases as much oxygen in six weeks as a six-year-old tree. However, it’s important to note that this data only reflects the part Post Carbon Lab can measure – that is, when they’re processing the item. Once it’s in the hands of the wearer, it’ll