Our projects

Currently, humanity is facing a serious problem due to the mismanagement and overproduction of textile waste, which is contributing to environmental degradation. It is paradoxical that there is an overproduction of unused or unsold garments, while many indigenous communities lack access to the raw materials for their crafts, which are vital for their subsistence.

Thus, the Textile Transformation Machine stems from my experience as a textiles professor, where I had the opportunity to participate in a project with the Nasa community in Colombia. This community faces an issue stemming from the shift from sheep farming, from which they obtained wool, to cattle farming, which offers them more food options such as meat and milk. The shortage of sheep wool has led to a crisis in the raw material for the production of local crafts such as backpacks, ponchos, and chumbes.

Therefore, the project's proposal primarily aims to design a type of material that replaces wool and allows for the continuation of artisanal production. The idea is to transform second-hand clothing into raw material for these communities. The goal is not only to replace one material with another but also to enable the community itself to produce and transform this material to avoid dependence on external suppliers. Additionally, it is important that the materials have similar characteristics in terms of color, strength, and texture to the wool of the sheep they previously raised.

To implement this solution, a Textile Transformation Machine kit has been designed, based on Low-Tech technology, for the recycling and textile transformation of second-hand clothing into fibers optimal for weaving and crafting their artisanal products. This initiative offers the opportunity to transform our own waste and avoid the constant consumption of synthetic raw materials, which, for the most part, do not complete their life cycle sustainably.