Apr 19, 2006 11:06 pm US/Central
Clothing Made From Corn May Begin New Trend
by Terri Gruca
(WCCO)
In the tiny town of Benson, Minn., sits a company on the cutting edge of the fashion industry.
"This originally was a Fingerhut operation," said Don Lenz owner of Future Products Incorporated.
Many of the shirts sewn at Future Products Incorporated look like typical golf shirts, but they are very different.
"It's made of corn," said Lenz.
He's talking about the Renew Apparel line of clothing.
Here's a simplistic explanation of how the process works. Kernels of corn are transformed into tiny beads then pressed into a thread. That work is done mainly in Nebraska. It winds up in Benson as rolls of fabric.
"It feels like cotton. It's comfortable like cotton. But it performs like the high-tech fabrics on the market today," said Lenz.
This fabric is also naturally wrinkle resistant. It wicks away moisture and doesn't shrink even after several washings.
It's so revolutionary even workers found it a little hard to believe.
"We had a lot of jokes about it like when it's wet is it going to smell like silage," said employee Colleen Gunderson.
No worries. The fabric does not smell and is so good at wicking away moisture, corn shirts could replace athletic shirts so many people wear when they work out or play sports.
"To produce the product you're seeing today takes 50 percent less greenhouse gases than the synthetic counterparts on the market today," said Lenz.
These shirts are also completely biodegradable. Once they are thrown away, they break down into carbon dioxide and water.
It's no wonder this fabric is planting seeds of hope for future fashions. So don't be surprised to see Minnesota mentioned as the original makers or corn couture.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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