Turkey turns barley straw waste into a textile-like material

Turkey’s earthquake-affected Adıyaman province, with experiments by Turkish designers and members of the FIT community, has launched “Soil to Surface,” an exhibition featuring textile like material made from barley straws. The project looks at whether barley straw left after harvesting can become the basis for a new material and design supply chain while also creating new income opportunities for women-led cooperatives.

MILKist carried out the initial research and developed the technical process, with the aim of producing a strong sheet made entirely from barley straw without adding other fibres or binders. According to the organisation, washing soda is used only during processing and is removed through rinsing before the straw is turned into pulp.

Plant-based dyes can be added while the fibres are being prepared or applied to the finished sheets. MILKist has particularly explored the use of poppies, which grow in the Adıyaman region and have been part of the centre’s natural dye research for almost a decade.

The team sees the project as a small-scale production model that could move towards commercial use rather than immediate mass production. Improving material consistency and understanding market demand are among the next steps.

“Soil to Surface” opens on Sept. 24 at FIT’s Art and Design Gallery and will remain open until Nov. 1. The exhibition presents the project’s current range of work, including hand-formed barley sheets, finished products and experiments by FIT participants that break the material down and rebuild it in new forms.