Decomposed to Recompose: The Insect Influence on Fashion’s Future

Insects have long earned their reputation as the ultimate wardrobe saboteurs - the silent culprits behind those mysterious holes in your favourite sweaters and the unwelcome guests at your vintage party. But here’s the twist: in the war against fashion waste, bugs might just be our best-dressed allies.

Turns out, the future of sustainable fashion isn’t all mushroom leather and recycled bottles. It might involve larvae, maggots, and exoskeletons. Intrigued? Slightly disgusted? Excellent. Let’s dive in.

Fast Fashion’s Waste Hangover

Let’s start with the problem: the fashion industry is choking on its own output. Every year, we produce over 100 billion garments, and according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a truckload of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). That’s not a typo.

Even worse, less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new clothes - most ends up languishing in landfills, releasing methane and synthetic microplastics into the environment (UNEP, 2023). Mixed fibre garments (like cotton-poly blends) are especially problematic: too complex for current recycling tech, too common to ignore.

So... what eats what recycling can’t?

Enter the Insects: Nature’s OG Recyclers

The Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL)

Not just a goth-sounding band name - these wriggly guys are sustainability darlings. BSFL are already being used in food waste composting and animal feed systems, but recent studies suggest they can also help break down textile waste, especially cellulosic fibres like cotton, viscose, and linen (Kaul et al., 2022).

Here's how it works:

• BSFL feed on organic matter (textiles included), rapidly decomposing them.

• The byproduct? Frass - nutrient-rich insect poop that can be used as a natural fertiliser.

• Some systems even convert larvae biomass into biofuel or industrial oils. Circularity, but make it squirmy.

In 2022, researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands ran a pilot where larvae consumed cotton-based textile waste with promising results (Wageningen University, 2022). Could this be the future of fashion compost bins?

Bug-Based Biotech: Chitin Chic

Chitin (pronounced kai-tin) is a naturally occurring biopolymer found in insect exoskeletons, crab shells, and fungi. When processed into chitosan, it becomes a versatile, biodegradable material already used in packaging, cosmetics - and soon, fashion.

• ChiTex, a start-up textile innovation project, is developing fabrics derived from chitosan that are not only compostable and antimicrobial but have the potential to replace fossil-fuel-based synthetics (ChiTex Project, 2023).

• This material is light, breathable, and - crucially - doesn’t shed harmful microplastics into our waterways.

Who knew shrimp shells and beetles could outperform polyester?

The Silkworm Reimagined

Silk has always had a complicated relationship with sustainability. It's biodegradable, but its production traditionally involves boiling silkworms alive in their cocoons - not exactly cruelty-free couture.

Scientists and startups are now turning to synthetic biology to create lab-grown silk proteins that mimic the strength and sheen of natural silk - without the wormicide.

• Bolt Threads and Spiber are developing “biofabricated” silk spun by yeast or bacteria, inspired by silkworm and spider DNA (Bolt Threads, 2021; Spiber, 2022).

• The result? Silky smooth materials with lower water usage, fewer emissions, and no insect casualties.

It’s not just fashion. Bioengineered silk has also been used in bulletproof vests and surgical sutures. If it can stop a bullet, it can probably survive the washing machine.

Overcoming the “Ick” Factor

Let’s address the obvious: most people don’t want their clothes to sound like a National Geographic documentary.

But our cultural squeamishness is evolving. Insects are already hitting the mainstream in food and skincare - from cricket protein bars to chitosan-based face masks. Why not fashion?

And frankly, bugs are better recyclers than we are. They’ve been decomposing, digesting, and regenerating ecosystems for millions of years. It’s high time we took notes.

So, What’s the Catch?

Scaling this up isn't as simple as building a giant bug buffet.

Challenges include:

• Ensuring insect-based textile digestion works with dyed and chemically-treated fabrics.

• Public perception (not everyone wants “Made by Maggots” on their clothing tags).

• Regulatory and logistical hurdles, especially when it comes to bio-waste classification.

But the promise is real: circularity powered by the tiniest creatures on Earth.

From Pest to Partner

Insects have long been treated as symbols of decay in fashion - a sign that something has been left too long, worn too thin, or neglected. But in the context of a global waste crisis, their role is shifting.

These organisms, once considered mere intruders in our wardrobes, are emerging as agents of transformation - capable of turning discarded textiles into resources, not waste. In a system desperate for regeneration, the future may belong not to what we invent, but to what we’ve overlooked.

So the next time a moth eats your favourite jumper, maybe pause before you reach for the bug spray. That little freeloader might just be part of a revolution.

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