Don’t Cry Over “Spoiled” Milk
February 19, 2019
We all know the feeling. You pour your favorite cereal, morning cup of joe, or just get ready to fill a glass, and then you notice an odor. The milk you were about to enjoy has a putrid and sour smell. The morning is off to a bad start; you wasted cereal, your coffee is too strong, and you know it’s gonna be a bad day, unless you are Antonella Bellina of Italy!
Antonella Bellina, a fashion designer based in Tuscany, who had an epiphany one morning when she opened her fridge and saw spoiled milk. Bellina was frustrated about having to waste so much milk, and decided to turn spoiled milk into something good. Italy wastes 30 million tons of dairy each year, and America wastes 43 million gallons of milk (yes, just milk!) per year. The immense amount of dairy products wasted is a terrible thing alone, but it also means the waste of the resources and hours used to produce the products. Bellina found a way to make spoiled make into something useful.
The genius fashion designer found a way to take the proteins from spoiled milk and make it into a silky thread. First, the milk is heated to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. To separate the protein and the whey, citric acid is added. Then they strain, dry, and grind the casein protein into a powder. The final, secret step whips the powder into a fiber, then the fiber is twisted into thread that is used to make the fabric. Each shirt requires a half gallon of spoiled milk to be made. The most important and impressive part of the whole process is that the shirts don’t even smell like spoiled milk!
Bellina’s products are made without chemicals, including the dyes, which are made from blueberries and red onions. As of now, they only sell products in Italy. In the future, they hope to expand their market and to start selling medical supplies and bedding. I hope they do not face “udder” defeat in their business aspirations!
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/spinning-spoiled-milk-environmental-revolution-n969296