JABAL - Asclepias: A Circular Bio-Based Textile for Regenerative Futures

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Jabal proposes a collaboration with Asclepias Syriaca (milkweed), an undervalued perennial plant that can open a radical bio-based path for the textile industry. Milkweed’s dual fiber system — bast fibers (strong, structural, lignocellulosic) and floss fibers (hollow, hydrophobic, lightweight) — combined with its latex (natural rubber), provide a unique opportunity to develop a multi-functional mono-material ecosystem. Jabal proposes a collaboration with Asclepias Syriaca (milkweed), an undervalued perennial plant that can open a radical bio-based path for the textile industry. Milkweed’s dual fiber system — bast fibers (strong, structural, lignocellulosic) and floss fibers (hollow, hydrophobic, lightweight) — combined with its latex (natural rubber), provide a unique opportunity to develop a multi-functional mono-material ecosystem. By bringing together the complementary qualities of the plant in a novel way, it becomes possible to design textiles, composites, coatings, and waterproofing systems entirely from one source, ensuring full biodegradability and enhancing recyclability. This makes milkweed an exceptional candidate for cradle-to-cradle fashion innovation, especially in outdoor and technical textiles requiring high-performance properties. Beyond material performance, introducing milkweed into textile supply chains would also diversify production systems. Today’s natural fiber crops (cotton, flax, hemp) are often cultivated in monocultural and resource-intensive ways. By cultivating a perennial plant that thrives on marginal land without irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides, milkweed contributes to agro-ecological diversity and relieves pressure from intensive land exploitation. This diversification not only increases resilience but also broadens the cultural and ecological imagination of textile production — turning what was once dismissed as “invasive” into a regenerative partner. It opens pathways for inter-species collaboration and redefines our relationship to plants and the living beings that surround us. By developing an open-source, seed-to-compost production chain, milkweed can enable regenerative textile systems that reduce environmental harm, reconnect material production to agroecological practices, and democratize access to sustainable innovation.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: JABAL - Asclepias: A Circular Bio-Based Textile for Regenerative Futures
Date: 9/5/2025 9:10:25 PM
Administrators:

Project Idea Description

Jabal proposes a collaboration with Asclepias Syriaca (milkweed), an undervalued perennial plant that can open a radical bio-based path for the textile industry. Milkweed’s dual fiber system — bast fibers (strong, structural, lignocellulosic) and floss fibers (hollow, hydrophobic, lightweight) — combined with its latex (natural rubber), provide a unique opportunity to develop a multi-functional mono-material ecosystem.

By bringing together the complementary qualities of the plant in a novel way, it becomes possible to design textiles, composites, coatings, and waterproofing systems entirely from one source, ensuring full biodegradability and enhancing recyclability. This makes milkweed an exceptional candidate for cradle-to-cradle fashion innovation, especially in outdoor and technical textiles requiring high-performance properties.

Beyond material performance, introducing milkweed into textile supply chains would also diversify production systems. Today’s natural fiber crops (cotton, flax, hemp) are often cultivated in monocultural and resource-intensive ways. By cultivating a perennial plant that thrives on marginal land without irrigation, fertilizers, or pesticides, milkweed contributes to agro-ecological diversity and relieves pressure from intensive land exploitation.

This diversification not only increases resilience but also broadens the cultural and ecological imagination of textile production — turning what was once dismissed as “invasive” into a regenerative partner. It opens pathways for inter-species collaboration and redefines our relationship to plants and the living beings that surround us. By developing an open-source, seed-to-compost production chain, milkweed can enable regenerative textile systems that reduce environmental harm, reconnect material production to agroecological practices, and democratize access to sustainable innovation.