LIFECYCLE

sustainable products require a lifecycle analysis to efficiently

and effectively use every resource

Personal Use: Raw Material Garden

The lichens can be grown and disposed of in raw material gardens for local production.

Mass Production: Logging Industry By-Product

Lichens could be sourced as a byproduct of the logging industry. Through upcycing methods like this, material costs are reduced substantially. It also presents opportunities to partner with communities, businesses, and nonprofits organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), to develop methods of removing lichens from the bark of trees after cutting them down. Refining the machinery already used by the logging industry to obtain a closer shave can create local jobs in production and engineering.

cultural impact

scalability

Nutrious Bases

We identified agar as a natural base substance for nutrient supply and binding agent. This was critical for survival of lichen as a living wearable material

Lichen flora are unique to every region. Imagine using the same recipe to make Symbiotex, but every community creates a material with different colors, texture, or other properties. By connecting thethese attributes to a specific specie, locals can connect their social culture to the ecological cultures and showcase their regional pride.

water use

The agar and natural dyes are dissolved in boiling water to form the base. As the prototype reaches a cooling temperature, before becoming a solid, the lichen buds are placed on top of the base. Some lichen specie will require some slight re-wetting, which could be introduce into the consumer wash cycle in the future.

biodegradable

The Symbiotex material is made of lichens, agar, and sawdust which are non-toxic natural substances that will biodegrade. The nutrients from agar and sawdust will benefit germination for composting soil.

reintroducing used materials

Instead of disposing the material and increasing post consumer waste, Symbiotex can boiled or grind down and recycled back into the production cycle.

UNITED NATIONS

Sustainable development goals

In September 2015, the United Nations declared the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as a plan of action to eradicate the most critical problems that face our global citizens.

Among the 17 goals, Symbiotex was inspired to address: