10120036Supply UK textile industry with sustainable British-made hemp fibreClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKFashion needs to clean up its act. The industry is responsible for a tenth of global emissions and 4 percent of fresh water extraction. Conventional fabrics like cotton and polyester are harmful for the environment. The Great British Fibre Co., or GBF, offers a solution to these problems. We plan to launch the first hemp textile fibre manufacturing operation in the United Kingdom. Hemp fabric is associated with 5X less emissions and 4X less water usage than cotton. Hemp fibres are tough and need to be put through a machine called a "degumming" reactor and go through what's known as the "cottonization" process. This process removes organic polymers from the fibres, making them soft and suitable for spinning into yarn. Cottonization reactors are commonplace in China. GBF plans to launch the first hemp "cottonization" unit in the UK. The fashion industry is heavily reliant on products from China and other exporting nations. By using homegrown fabrics manufactured with our "farm to yarn" model, we will remove the emissions, unreliability, and expense related to imports. We will let British designers tell a new story to their consumers, who are increasingly demanding sustainable products.