At the Indonesia Halal Industry Awards (IHYA) 2022 ceremony held in Jakarta on 9 December 2022, BBSPJI Tekstil was named Top 3 in the Best Halal Innovation Category (Government Organization Achievement on Halal Innovation) for using biduri natural fiber as an insulative filler in winter jackets, commonly known as Winter Jackets.
A Winter Jacket is functional clothing generally worn in winter to maintain body temperature against extreme cold. The insulative filler in winter jackets usually uses imported raw materials such as fine poultry feathers from geese and ducks (goose-down and duck-down) or polyester fiber sheets (batting), which are less environmentally friendly.
Natural fiber from the seed pods of the biduri plant (Calotropis gigantea) has a hollow, tube-like morphology, giving it excellent heat insulation. Besides being environmentally friendly and easy to cultivate, the fiber is light, hypoallergenic and floats on water. Processing biduri fiber as a textile fiber was long developed by former BBSPJI Tekstil researcher Moch. Danny Sukardan. Biduri fiber was then developed as a substitute for down by forming it into nonwoven sheets. This development offers advantages in both heat insulation and economic value, as the raw material is far cheaper than down.
The Head of BBSPJI Tekstil, Cahyadi, is optimistic that this halal, environmentally friendly product can be adopted and mass-produced by the domestic apparel industry. Collaboration among fashion designers, local fashion brands and the TPT industry is therefore needed so this local product can compete in global markets.
“In terms of market, the winter clothing segment's market share reaches 48.2% in four-season countries and is predicted to reach USD 295 million in 2027 with a CAGR of 5%. In the local market, the outdoor sportswear user segment is also quite large, such as mountaineering communities, motorbike touring and other outdoor activities like camping & travelling,” he said. (humasbbt)