Formary to launch blend of rice straw & wool upholstery

“The Formary’s latest success is another great result for their sustainable business, building economic success while reducing pollution and waste,” said Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown. “The business relationship with the Furun Textile Company highlights the importance of our region’s relationship with the Zhejiang Province and our strategic economic partnership we formed between our regions with 2012′s Memorandum of Understanding.”

The rice straw fabric cost about the same as other wool blend upholstery materials, but the high silica content of straw enhances the existing flame resistant properties of wool, a stark contrast to the oil-based synthetic products that dominate the market.

Ms Casey said they chose Zhejiang Furun Textile company because of its capability and track record in second generation textiles.

“Wool is a brilliant carrier for other fibres, while the straw fibre enhances the properties of wool, such as improving flame resistance and durability, making the fabric more hard wearing,” she said.

With an idea so big, how does The Formary protect its intellectual property?

The Formary has taken a patent out on its idea, but Ms Casey said it was also important for companies to build trust and integrity with their partners.

Ms Casey said good ideas can never be totally protected and people very quickly build on them with second and third generation versions “because that’s how things evolve and you have got to be pragmatic.”

“On top of that you build the brand and promote your product. Being first to market gives you an advantage, because you can build demand ahead of your competitors.”

Ms Casey said the demand for food production is projected to double in the next 40 years to meet growing demands from an additional 2 billion people, making it logical that arable and productive land producing single-purpose fibre crops like cotton would have to give way to dual purpose crops that produced both food and fibre.

Formary