TAIPEI: A leading Taiwanese company has discovered a way to turn used coffee grounds into T-shirts.

Singtex Industrial Co, a leading Taiwanese producer of functional fabrics, developed the new product. It's eco-friendly, dries quickly, controls odors, and even offers UV protection.

"One medium cup of coffee can make two T-shirts," said Singtex general manager Chen Kuo-chin. He noted with some pride that the new discovery means that waste coffee grounds no longer will have to end up in landfills as garbage.

The company spent three years developing the patented process to transform waste coffee grounds into the new trade marked fabric, appropriately called "S.Cafe".

Chen explained that the company turns the coffee grounds into yarn. The yarn is then used to produce many different styles of knitted and woven fabrics, as well as soft shell fabrics.

The S.Cafe fabric is touted for its fast drying properties, for controlling odors, and for providing ultraviolet-protection, but for the time being the company is focusing on S.Cafe's eco-friendly characteristics as the product is made from waste materials.

In addition, the fabric does not use any chemicals and is free of harmful materials commonly generated during the production or transportation of other types of yarn, the company said. The manufacture of the new product does not require high temperature carbonization, so its manufacture is also energy efficient.

Unlike most fabrics, the eco-friendly fabric can be washed by using clean water without need for detergent.

"Loving the earth must be more than a slogan to be effective. It has to be put into practice," Chen said.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/08/2009 page2)