Bark cloth – fabric from tree bark

Bark cloth – fabric from tree bark

Friday 22 Jun 2012

A collaboration between a German and Ugandan company has produced a new textile called Bark Cloth®. Actually it is not really new. It’s based on material that was made thousands of years ago.

Bark Cloth® is made from the bark of a Ficus tree called Mutaba in East Africa. The bark is carefully peeled off, soaked and pounded until it is soft. The tree heals itself and in one year its bark can be harvested again. It can be processed to be so thin it is translucent or left thick with properties similar to leather.

The resulting textile is being used for; shoes, upholstery, wall coverings, flooring, lamp shades even automobile components. It has been further engineered by adding properties such as water-proofing or fire-resistance to make it more appropriate for apparel, product or interior design.

Its manufacturers believe it may be used in the future for such things as; renewable air conditioner filters or biodegradable wound dressings. Source: FPIntel

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