How can a puffer jacket promote biodiversity?

This innovative insulating material is made from regenerative wetland plant fibres

Spotted: Peatlands sequester far more carbon than forests, yet these areas have substantially decreased and become degraded in recent years because of human activity and climate change, with scientists highlighting that remaining wetland biodiversity “faces unprecedented threats.”

Bristol-based biomaterials company Ponda (formerly Saltyco) has created a solution that not only restores wetlands, but also replaces the fashion industry’s resource-intensive synthetic and natural insulations with a new material. Called BioPuff, the insulation is made from the fibres of the typha latifolia plant, a wetlands-based, fast-growing, low-maintenance plant that can be grown commercially.

BioPuff is naturally water-repellent, lightweight, and warm, making it ideal for use in homewares and fashion, particularly in puffer jackets. In tests, the insulation performed as well as commonly used animal, plant, and synthetic-based materials. Ponda’s research indicates that BioPuff is also carbon negative, with every kilogramme produced abating more than 42 kilogrammes of CO2-equivalent emissions.

Paludiculture, or marsh farming, provides growers working with Ponda an additional income stream while repairing degraded or dried-out land. Typha crops add significant amounts of habitat space for animals and insects, increasing biodiversity and the amount of carbon sequestered. The material is fully traceable, helping brands improve their supply chain transparency and providing customers with more information about where their products come from.

Written By: Keely Khoury