Let’s dive deeper. According to the Taiwanese Department of Agriculture, an astonishing 160,000 metric tons of mollusk shells are tossed aside annually from restaurant and fishing businesses. But these aren’t just ordinary waste materials. Oyster shells are composed of 95% calcium carbonate – the perfect ingredient to repair and grow living oyster reefs.
Eddie Wang, born and bred in western Taiwan where shellfish is a thriving industry, decided to give these discarded shells a second life. Inspired by lower-income locals who used crushed oysters for home insulation, Wang embarked on a journey to transform these shells into thread.
Fast forward to today, Wang’s factory churns out 900 tons of sea wool thread every year, raking in a whopping $6 million gross profit. A quick Google search of “Sea Wool Clothes” leads you to Huckberry, a large men’s wear outlet offering a line of stunning sea wool sweaters competitively priced with real wool counterparts.
And the benefits don’t stop at fashion. Given that oysters are calcium carbonate, powdered oyster shells could potentially replace limestone quarrying, a major source of emissions and pollution. This means not only are we looking at a game-changer in the textile industry, but also a significant step towards a greener planet.
Get inspired by Eddie Wang’s ingenuity and share this incredible alternative to textiles with your friends!
Source: Good News Network
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