Dairies dispose of milk every single day because for one reason or another they deemed it unfit for human consumption. While every year, individuals of Europe and North America throw away an average of 95 to 115 kilograms (210 to 250 pounds) of food they think is either spoiled or rotten. In 2016, over 40 million gallons worth of milk were dumped into the field. Some reports suggest that the milk waste could fill up 66 Olympic-sized swimming pools. That is a lot of milk!
Now, a Los Angeles-based startup by the name of Mi Terro is on a global mission to reduce dairy waste. Thankfully, the company has created T-shirts using that waste milk, which they say have some significant advantages over regular cotton Tees. One of those advantages is that the Milk Shirt is unbelievably softer than cotton.
How Is Milk Fabric Produced?
The milk used to make milk cotton is waste milk, therefore the process starts by obtaining this waste milk, which is generally obtained directly from a dairy. The milk then gets fermented and skimmed, removing its fat content. It is subsequently de-watered, resulting in powdered milk, that then gets purified to remove all substances other than a naturally-occurring protein called casein.
Next, this powdered casein is immersed in alkali, which produces a solution that is then passed through a spinneret to create fibers. Once that is complete, all the alkali is removed from those fibers using sulfuric acid. The resulting fibers are finally stretched and spun into soft milk yarn.
Unbelievably Soft And Comfortable
Made out of that yarn, a machine-washable Limitless Milk Shirt is likely the world’s first and only shirt made from upcycled milk. While being antibacterial, wrinkle-resistant, moisture-wicking, UV-blocking, and stretchable in every direction, this Limitless Milk Shirt is extremely soft and gives a silk-like feel. As a bonus, micro-pockets in the material reportedly trap odors and allow for optimized airflow, helping to keep the wearer cool and smelling fresh.
The company says:
The breathable milk shirts are three times smoother and softer than cotton. These shirts will make you feel like you’re wearing nothing.
In order to make these shirts even more comfortable and breathable, the team had to blend the milk with micromodal, another environmental-friendly fiber made from beechwood tree.
Sustainability
Mi Terro manufactures its products in China in an above fair wage factory where more than 50% of the workers are women. They say that every 100 shirts made provides 1 job for the local workers.
For packaging, Mi Terro uses reused and sustainable materials.
Not only are the products made sustainably, but for every item they sell they plant 10 trees in partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects. They say they have planted 2700 trees through this partnership so far.
Every five shirts represent one glass of milk that would otherwise have been wasted, noted Mi Terro. It is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for its Limitless Milk Shirts. Should you be interested in these shirts (along with Limitless Milk Underwear), assuming they reach production, a pledge of US$25 will get you a pair of the undies (planned retail $44), while $35 is required for one of the shirts (retail $59). Also, for more details, you can visit the company’s website.
