26: Green Textile Chemicals in a Petroleum-Based Industry (feat. Matthias Foessel)

In the light of the energy and agriculture industries, we forget that the textile industry has a substantial carbon footprint. Large-scale production is easily impacted by small shifts in price, so the offering of green alternatives has to match not only the performance of oil-based chemicals but their cost too. Before we introduce today’s guest, check out our MSE-themed merchandise if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science! Today’s guest is Matthias Foessel, the CEO of Beyond Surface Technologies. In this episode, he explains the importance of green materials in the textile industry. In this conversation, we discuss the following topics: Why are petroleum chemicals so common in the textile industry Adidas “green” World Cup jerseys Application of green chemicals in outdoor clothing Convincing companies to switch to green materials Implementing green alternatives into industrial processes The future of green chemicals in textiles Special thanks to Checkerspot for partnering with us for this episode! Also, check out our free professional development guide for materials scientists and engineers! Join our Discord community! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts in the field. For shorter segments and full video podcasts, subscribe to our channel on YouTube. For bloopers, audiograms, and interesting materials science articles, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Feel free to message us on our social media platforms if you have any feedback or recommendations for future episodes, or email us directly at [email protected]. Finally, reach out to David Yeh and Punith Upadhya on LinkedIn if you'd like to chat about the latest breakthroughs in MSE! Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed by either guests or hosts in this show are their own, and do not represent the opinions of the companies or organizations for which they are affiliated.