Unilever & Genomatica’s palm oil alternatives, biobased World Cup soccer balls, mistletoe as natural glue, and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of June 23rd

#5 Patagonia, HeiQ jointly develop mint oil odor control for fabric

In California, sustainable outdoor gear brand Patagonia and Switzerland’s HeiQ have developed mint-based textile odor control technology. Dubbed HeiQ Fresh MNT, the product uses a renewable and responsibly sourced mint oil-derived textile technology to control malodor development on textiles, providing fabrics with a long-lasting odor control capability. Based on test method ISO17299-3A using isovaleric acid, treated synthetic fibers more than double the odor control efficiency versus current industry standards.

“With odor control you need to wash less, saving water, detergent, energy, microfiber and prolong the life of garments,” HeiQ Co-founder and CEO Carlo Centonze says in a statement. “We can all now look forward to a fresher smelling society with natural, reliable and durable odor control.”

Patagonia, as the development partner, is the first to commit to the technology and will start to upgrade its products in the near future. “We have been relentlessly testing this technology and lining up the supply chain to bring products enhanced with HeiQ Fresh MNT to the market as quickly as possible,” says Laura Hoch, Material Innovation Engineer from Patagonia.

More on the story, here.