Nike and California-based Newlight Technologies have announced a partnership to explore the use of AirCarbon, an energy storage material, in a variety of applications within Nike’s supply chain and manufacturing. According to a press release, the collaboration is part of Nike’s plans to accelerate its carbon reduction plans, as materials account for 70 percent of the brand’s carbon footprint.
To produce the AirCarbon granules, Newlight uses naturally occurring marine microorganisms that absorb air and greenhouse gases (GHGs) dissolved in seawater and convert them into AirCarbon in their cells. The material is also known as polyhydroxybutyrate (or PHB) and is about 40 percent by weight atmospheric oxygen and 60 percent by weight carbon from greenhouse gases, according to Newlight. Because its production binds CO2 in the atmosphere, AirCarbon is certified carbon-negative by SCS Global Services.
Currently, the biologically produced polymer can be melted into a range of forms, from fibers and sheets to solid shapes. In the fashion world, the material is now being used as a carbon-negative replacement for plastic and leather, such as for eyewear, wallets or bags (e.g., by the Covalent brand, a subsidiary of Newlight). AirCarbon has not yet been applied to a yarn-like fiber, but the companies hope to explore possibilities through this partnership to improve Nike’s carbon footprint through carbon-negative products. Newlight is already exploring the use of AirCarbon in textiles for biomedical and personal care applications.
Newlight, a Huntington Beach-based company founded in 2003, uses IBM-based blockchain technology to track its carbon footprint. Prior to its new partnership with Nike, the company has worked with companies like IKEA, Hewlett-Packard, Sprint and The Body Shop to utilize AirCarbon in their manufacturing operations.
