Renewable Energy from GRASS?!

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein

Did you know that many apparel factories are located in developing countries that don’t have access to reliable power? What if we could solve this problem by taking the energy provided by the sun and this crazy plant called King Grass to create renewable energy? Well that’s exactly what one of the factories did where we cut and sew Allmade t-shirts! The Honduras Green Power Corporation (HGPC), which is located in Honduras, provides more than enough power to create millions of garments each year. HGPC has been creating this renewable energy for over 10 years! Pretty cool, huh?!

We think so! When we first started making shirts in Haiti, the factory we were using had a diesel-powered generator so they could have consistent electricity. Not very eco-friendly, and not always reliable. For much larger factories, coal or bunker fuel is used which emits Co2 into the atmosphere.

 

How does it work?

The team decided to use King Grass, a fast-growing grass that can be harvested up to three times a year. It grows up to 13’ tall and is harvested, chopped, juiced, dried, burnt for energy, and then replanted for the next crop. 

The amazing part of the system is that while the burning of King Grass creates most of the power, the bi-products of the process are used to create more energy and to fertilize the soil for the next crop. The juice that is squeezed out of the grass (think of a giant wheatgrass juicing machine) is used to ferment and create methane, which is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. In order to ensure the viability of future crops, the ash that is left after the grass is burnt is caught through scrubbers and filters during the process. It is then spread over the soil and used to enrich the new crop. 

Seeing this process and facility in person is extremely impressive. We are proud to partner with HGPC so we know we’re taking care of our planet and the people on it.  

 

#feelyourimpact with every Allmade t-shirt! 

Source: https://www.ecotextile.com/2016070122220/materials-production-news/biomass-to-power-new-us-130m-textile-mill.html



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