Mi Terro creates fibres out of dairy waste that can be used to make apparel, bed linen and packaging. Food waste has become an increasingly prevalent issue in recent years. But dairy waste is a largely overlooked problem, despite the fact that 128 million tons of milk is wasted annually. In fact, Mi Terro’s CEO and Co-Founder, Robert Luo, was shocked upon seeing a small fraction of that waste after visiting his uncle’s dairy farm in China. Frustrated by the large quantities of excess he produced, he asked if Robert could find a solution to the problem. After some research into how sour and spoiled milk can be used, Robert devised a technology which resulted in the formation of Mi Terro in 2018.
Mi Terro & the Sustainable Fashion it Milks
Robert Luo has two things in mind when it comes to Mi Terro’s business plan, “Our goal is to replace petroleum materials with protein-based materials, especially made from food waste. So we’re not just talking about solving food waste, but also helping other industries with the technology that we have.” So, how does it work? Well, there are two methods. The first method involves the extraction of casein protein (which amounts to 80% of the proteins in cow’s milk) from the spoiled milk. Its process then uses a technique known as web-spinning to turn these proteins into fibres. The second method, which the company is currently developing, would create fibres from the milk while it’s still in a liquid state, thus bypassing the extraction phase.
So, where does the company source its milk? Mi Terro’s original batch of products was produced by the milk found at Robert’s uncle’s dairy farm. However, the company is now in conversation with dairy farmers in inner-Mongolia, helping them to convert their wastage into a sustainable form of fashion. It is also in conversation with state-owned Guangming Dairy in China, the largest dairy company in the country, helping it reduce its milk waste. And finally, in the US, Mi Terro is talking with Nestlé to hopefully help it do the same.
The Milky Clothes of Mi Terro
In late June of 2019, Mi Terro launched its first milk-made shirts which you can see above. The product has since been sold in over 40 countries across the globe. The startup was also due to launch in China in February of this year, however, the Coronavirus pandemic has forced it to delay this launch until later this year. Mi Terro is also in conversation with more recognisable brands to see whether its product could be something to add to their collections. For instance, Nike has purchased some of its shirts and fibres to see whether its solution could be something it would invest in in the future. It is also negotiating a partnership with H&M to see to what extent they can collaborate to create new technology or mass-produce the product.
There has been a great shift in recent years towards more sustainable fashion options. As people and companies throughout the world become more conscious of the impact they have on the climate, many are looking to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions across the board. However, when it comes to the consumer level, there are differences in how people respond to Mi Terro’s product. In my conversation with Robert Luo, he demonstrated how the Western world reacted to his product in comparison with the Asian continent.
“So, in the Western world, people are really attached to the mission behind it, to the high-quality of it. People are willing to pay a more premium price for high quality and mission-driven social-impact-companies products. Whereas, especially in China, people are more clear about the cost-performance ratio. That means people want a low price product which, at the same time, meets […] their standard.”
Source: Mi Terro’s Website