H&M wants to make clothing from CO2 using this startup’s tech

Every second, the amount of textiles ending up in landfills worldwide equals an entire garbage truck. Meanwhile, the fashion industry generates more carbon pollution than all international flights and maritime transport combined. These numbers are not an exaggeration — they are the reality of an industry that has spent decades building its business model on the foundations of ecological irresponsibility. Now, as consumer and regulatory pressure finally begins to rise, the largest corporations are seeking salvation in technologies that once seemed futuristic. H&M, one of the world's largest clothing manufacturers, has just turned to a young startup called Rubi, which promises something astonishing: clothes made from carbon dioxide.

This is not another PR campaign about "green clothing." This is a fundamental change in how we think about where the material for clothes worn by billions of people on Earth comes from. Rubi has developed an enzymatic process that transforms CO₂ directly into cellulose — a material ready to be spun into lyocell or viscose, fibers already used in the textile industry today. In other words: instead of sourcing raw materials from petroleum or ecosystem-destroying plantations, they can be taken from the air.

Enzymatic processes instead of chemicals — how Rubi is changing the game

Neeka Mashouf, Rubi's co-founder and CEO, describes her technology in a surprisingly simple way: "we basically take the machinery of biology outside the cell." This sentence contains an entire revolution. For centuries, humans produced cellulose in one way — by cutting down trees, processing them chemically, and then spinning them into fibers. Rubi does the same thing, but starts from a different point: instead of wood — CO₂.

The enzymatic process is not black magic, though it may look that way to a layperson. An enzyme is a protein that catalyzes a specific chemical reaction. In this case, Rubi's enzyme takes carbon dioxide molecules and transforms them into sugars, which then bond into cellulose — the same material that makes up plant cell walls. The technology is so advanced that the cellulose emerges from the process already in a form ready for direct spinning, eliminating many intermediate steps required in the traditional fiber production process.

What makes this approach so significant? Well, traditional methods of producing lyocell and viscose require the use of dangerous chemicals, generate toxic waste, and require enormous amounts of water. Rubi's process is much cleaner. Instead of chemistry — biology. Instead of waste — a closed loop. Instead of water — CO₂, which we have in excess in the atmosphere.

The startup does not work in a vacuum. Rubi has already partnered with H&M, one of the largest players in the fashion market. This is no coincidence — H&M needs solutions, and Rubi has them in its laboratory pipette.

H&M and other giants seeking escape from tradition

H&M is not a company that waits for regulations. The fast fashion chain has been talking about its climate ambitions for years, though — to be honest — the results have been mixed. However, interest in Rubi's technology shows that even the largest corporations are beginning to understand that the future belongs to those who do not fall behind.

The partnership with H&M gives Rubi something invaluable: access to industrial supply chains, knowledge about scaling production, and — equally important — the opportunity to test the technology in real business conditions. For H&M, in turn, it is a chance to tell its customers: "These clothes do not come from petroleum, did not require forest cutting, and their production not only emits CO₂, it absorbs it."

This changes the marketing game. In an era when millennials and Gen Z buy clothes with their impact on the planet in mind, such solutions are no longer a luxury — they are a necessity. The fashion industry has ignored this trend for years, still producing cheap clothing based on models from the eighties. Now it is beginning to wake up.

However, H&M is not the only player looking toward such innovations. The entire industry faces a crisis: not only environmental, but also reputational. Every major clothing manufacturer knows that it will have to change its business models or lose access to markets, especially European ones, where climate regulations are becoming increasingly stringent.

Cellulose from air — the technology the industry has been waiting for

Before Rubi appeared, the textile industry had several options to choose from, none of them perfect. First: recycling natural fibers, that is, taking used clothes and spinning them again. It works, but is more expensive and difficult than it seems in theory. Second: synthetic fibers from recycling, that is, spinning plastic into clothes. Better than nothing, but still relies on processing existing materials.

The third option is plant-based fibers — organic cotton, linen, hemp. It sounds ecological, but in practice requires enormous amounts of water, pesticides, and takes up land that could be used for food crops. It is not a solution that scales to the billions of clothes produced annually.

Rubi proposes a fourth option: cellulose from air. This changes the economic and ecological calculation. Instead of competing for limited resources — water, land, wood — Rubi's technology uses something we have too much of: CO₂. Additionally, cellulose emerges from the process in a form ready for spinning, which means it can be immediately used in existing textile infrastructure. There is no need to build new factories — just a new source of raw material.

This is key to scaling. Traditional material innovations require new machines, new processes, new employee training. Rubi can work with existing textile industry infrastructure, which drastically lowers the barrier to market entry.

Challenges that Rubi will have to overcome

Of course, not everything is as rosy as it might seem. Rubi faces several serious challenges that will determine whether this technology truly changes the industry or remains a laboratory curiosity.

First: scaling. Rubi can produce cellulose in the laboratory, but can it do so in the quantities required by H&M or other major brands? The textile industry is a numbers game — millions of tons of material annually. The startup must prove that its enzymatic process can work at such scale without losing efficiency or increasing costs.

Second: cost. Even if the technology works, it must be price competitive. Clothing manufacturers buy materials based on price per kilogram. If CO₂-derived cellulose is significantly more expensive than traditional alternatives, only niche premium brands will buy it. To change the industry, Rubi must achieve cost parity with traditional methods.

Third: CO₂ source. Rubi's technology needs carbon dioxide. Where to get it from? It can be captured directly from the air (Direct Air Capture), but this is expensive and energy-intensive. Alternatively, it can be obtained from industrial emissions — for example from cement plants or power plants. This is more practical, but involves dependence on infrastructure that exists where these emissions are.

The fourth challenge is energy. Even if enzymatic processes are cleaner than traditional chemistry, the process must be powered by energy. If energy comes from coal, all climate benefits disappear. Rubi will have to work with renewable energy sources for its clothes to truly be "carbon neutral."

Polish opportunities — do we have a chance in this game?

For Polish enterprises and startups, this technology opens new perspectives. Poland has a strong textile and clothing production sector — not on the scale of H&M, but significant for the local economy. Additionally, Poland has access to EU funds intended for climate innovation and energy transition.

Could Polish companies be interested in Rubi's technology? Of course. But could they develop something similar? That question is more complicated. Poland has well-educated engineers and biotechnologists, but the startup ecosystem in Poland is much weaker than in the United States or Western Europe. Rubi has access to venture capital and talent that would be much harder for a Polish startup to find.

However, Polish companies can play on a different field. Instead of competing with Rubi on technology, they can be its adopters. Polish textile factories could be among the first in Central Europe to implement CO₂-derived cellulose. This would be a signal to the market and competitors that Poland is not just a cheap producer, but an innovative player.

Lyocell and viscose — why these fibers specifically?

It is worth understanding why Rubi focuses on lyocell and viscose rather than other materials. Lyocell and viscose are cellulose fibers — meaning they are derived from cellulose that can be processed chemically. They account for approximately 6-7 percent of the global textile fiber market, which may sound small, but in absolute numbers it is millions of tons annually.

Why these materials specifically? First, they are already widely used in the industry. Every major textile factory knows how to process them. Second, they have good properties — they are soft, breathable, pleasant to the touch. Third, they are traditionally produced from wood, meaning from resources that are being depleted. Replacing wood with CO₂ is a natural solution here.

Rubi is not trying to invent a new material. It invented a new way to produce an old material. This is clever, because it eliminates the risk associated with introducing completely new fibers to the market. Clothing manufacturers know what they will get — cellulose they know, just from a different source.

The future of fashion — is this the end of the era of traditional materials?

If Rubi succeeds in solving the challenges of scaling and costs, serious changes could occur in the fashion industry. Imagine a world where most clothes do not come from petroleum and do not require rainforest cutting. Imagine factories that instead of emitting CO₂ absorb it. This is not utopia — it is a possible scenario if technologies like Rubi continue to develop.

However, this does not mean traditional materials will disappear. Organic cotton, linen, wool — all these materials will have their place on the market, especially in the premium segment and among consumers who prefer natural fibers. But for the mass market, for fast fashion and for middle-class consumers, technologies like Rubi could be a breakthrough.

Equally important, Rubi is not the only startup working on similar problems. There are companies developing fibers from mushrooms, algae, or even agricultural waste. Competition between these technologies will encourage innovation and cost reduction. Within a decade we could have access to a whole palette of new materials that are ecological, cheap, and scalable.

For the fashion industry this means the end of an era when one could ignore the impact on the planet. For consumers — it means a real choice between clothes that are not only how we want them, but also how the planet can sustain them. For startups like Rubi — it means an enormous opportunity, if they can deliver on what they promise.