Clothing made from CO2 could be the answer to one of the world’s most polluting industries. Between 2000 and 2015, global clothing production more than doubled, driven by the rise of fast fashion, which is disposable fashion at low prices. Faced with this challenge, a San Francisco startup called Rubi Laboratories has developed a radically different approach. Instead of seeking to reduce production, they aim to transform the problem into a solution by using CO2 as a raw material.
Clothing made from CO2 born from an enzymatic process inspired by trees
The clothing made from CO2 by Rubi is based on a principle borrowed from nature. The consultancy firm McKinsey estimates that the fashion industry accounts for up to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the most polluting sectors in the world. In trees, photosynthesis captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slowly converts it into cellulose, the raw material of textile fibers such as viscose, lyocell, or Tencel. According to Popular Science, Rubi replicates this process at high speed in bioreactors the size of shipping containers, using enzymes, which are proteins that accelerate chemical reactions.
The process begins with the injection of captured CO2 into an aqueous solution filled with enzymes. Within minutes, white cellulose appears inside the reactor. This cellulose can then be transformed into pulp and spun into textile fiber using the same industrial equipment as conventional viscose or lyocell production. In other words, existing textile factories do not need to reinvent themselves to integrate this new material.
Rubi has also optimized its enzymes using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve their performance and reduce costs. The goal is to achieve price parity with conventional textiles from the first large-scale demonstration plant.
Clothing made from CO2 captures H&M, Walmart, and Patagonia’s attention
Rubi’s technology quickly caught the attention of major players in the textile industry. According to TechCrunch, the startup has already entered into pilot partnerships with 15 brands, including H&M, Walmart, Patagonia, and Reformation. In 2023, Rubi and the Danish brand Ganni jointly presented the first textile fiber ever made from CO2 through a fully enzymatic process. These collaborations allow brands to test the fiber in real conditions and validate its compatibility with their production chains.
Financially, Rubi has just raised $7.5 million from investors, including H&M Group, AP Ventures, and Talis Capital. According to the official press release from the startup, the company has also secured more than $60 million in non-binding purchase agreements with several partners. These figures demonstrate tangible commercial interest, beyond mere enthusiasm for a promising technology.
At the same time, Rubi has expanded its ambitions beyond textiles. The startup is exploring applications in other industrial sectors that use cellulose, such as packaging or aerospace, which could significantly expand its potential market.
Clothing made from CO2 still needs to prove its scalability
However, the history of sustainable fashion is marked by promising companies that have not survived the test of industrial production. The most striking example is Renewcell, a Swedish company aiming to transform old clothes into new cotton fiber. Well-funded and supported by major brands, it opened its first plant in 2022 before going bankrupt two years later, failing to meet volume and quality commitments on a large scale.
Rubi is aware of this and has built its technology from the start with cost and modularity constraints. Their bioreactors operate as independent units that can be deployed directly where CO2 is available, reducing the need for heavy infrastructure. Thus, clothing made from CO2 not only promises a cleaner fashion but also offers a different industrial model, decentralized and adaptable, the credibility of which will be tested in the coming years on the production chains of the biggest brands on the planet.
