Clothes from milk?

Cows are wonderful gentle creatures with amazing heights of curiosity. I live on a rural farm and at times we ageist our land to a neighbour who runs a herd of cows. A few months ago I was out in the paddock with my 3 year old, who was not as frightened of the huge animals as the 9 year old was.

One cow in particular was very curious when it came to this small creature. When the 3 year old was still or focused else were the cow would almost creep up. As soon as the 3 year old’s attention focused on the approaching cow it would dance away. This cow and kid game was repeated until we had to go down the hill with the cow following all the way until the gate.

Beyond the cuteness of the animals, they provide much of the elements of life that we need and enjoy. This is especially true of food and clothing. Animal hides have long clothed man from the elements and kept him warm.

In our current world it has become essential that we rethink the traditional ways we provide for our needs from the environment. The way we have treated animals and the earth in general as an unlimited resource needs to be changed.

To this end a lot of research has gone into a section of the fashion industry called the wellness-wear. A number of brands have launched clothing made from sustainable products. According to Trendhunter, 2021 is full of sustainable eco-friendly innovations that are becoming more accepted and cost effective.

One particular trend in the wellness-wear sector is the use of milk in the production of garments. This research actually started way back in the 1930’s. When I first read this I was skeptical. As it turns out it is true and not just a Cleopatra myth about bathing in ass milk.

The fabric is made from casein milk protein and acrylonitrile. Acrylonitrile I found out is used to make certain rubbers and plastics and has a pungent odour of garlic (great for clothing was my first thought). Casein is a milk protein and is responsible for the sleepiness of milk (a cup of warm milk before bed so my mother said) and makes up 80% of milks total protein.

In Germany Anke Domaske a microbiologist has been involved in producing a fabric called QMilch from high concentrations of casein milk protein extracted from dried milk powder. This is the first man-made fiber to be produced without chemicals. Anke reports that the fabric is washable like a normal fabric, is soft as silk and has no smell – garlic or other.

The health benefits of milk fibers come from the fact that certain amino acids are trapped inside the fibers, making the material hypoallergenic, antibacterial and breathable.

But what about the production of the milk. When looking at the agriculture industries impact on climate change, animal agriculture is the leading culprit. The animals consume large amounts of land and water. Animal agriculture in the US takes 80% of all agriculture land. The dairy industry in Australia uses 10% of all water in the country. It takes 550 liters of water to produce a loaf of bread and 1020 liters of water to produce a liter of milk.

A dairy cow also produces 20 tones of manure a year with 10% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions being produced by the dairy industry.

Sustainable fashion is essential and any innovative ways that we can find to clothe ourselves is an absolute. Sustainable fashion is about the consumer becoming aware and demanding products that are environmentally and socially friendly.

Part of the demand that consumers need to communicate to producers should not be focused on a portion of sustainability but rather the entire cycle. This includes the production of the raw materials that goes into the creation of the end product. The sustainable production of the product especially in terms of sociability. And what happens to the end product when it is no longer needed. Is it biodegradable or recyclable.

It is important that we really do consider all the elements but don’t fall into the trap of analysis paralysis. This is because it is so important that we do move forward and find better ways of using our worlds limited resources.