PROVEN RESULTS

Hismer Bio-Tech Co. Ltd. in China's Shandong province is making biomass fibre from shrimp and crab shells, a pioneering effort to produce synthetic fibres from products not derived from crude oil. Qingdao-based BMSG, a bio seaweed substance processing firm, has been turning seaweed into biomass fibre that can be safely used for surgical dressings.

Hismer turns shrimp and crab shells from food waste to chitosan fibre, indistinguishable from other synthetic fibres. The fabric is used for making socks, underwear, bedding, medical products like masks and sanitary pads, and special cloth used in aerospace planes, according to company chairman Hu Guangmin. BMSG’s fibres are processed further into surgical dressing.