Dyeing

The textile industry has spent years producing pilot-scale sustainability successes that rarely translate into supply chain-wide adoption. The constraint is purchasing behaviour, not available technology. Eva Baumann, Chief Executive Officer of CHT Group, draws on CHT's foundation-owned structure and portfolio depth to make a case that is less about ambition than about where industrial reality and procurement logic continue to diverge.

Garments dyed with a melanin-like pigment extracted from sewage sludge have been produced for the first time, in a proof-of-concept collaboration between TU Delft and Dutch fashion label Hul le Kes. The biopolymer, recovered from wastewater treatment waste, offers UV protection and antioxidant properties and may reduce dependence on cuttlefish-derived and synthetic textile dyes.

Water pollution, resource consumption and regulatory scrutiny are converging on one of textile manufacturing's most established processes. Dyeing remains essential to fabric production, yet significant quantities of water, energy and chemicals are consumed in managing unfixed colourants. As compliance requirements tighten globally, manufacturers are reassessing how efficiency, wastewater management and competitiveness intersect.

Greener polyester dyeing has moved closer to industrial use after University of Leeds spinout SwitchDye secured minority equity investment from John Hogg Technical Solutions. The partnership will support factory-level trials, combining SwitchDye’s carbonated-water colouration process with John Hogg’s production knowledge, stewardship experience and customer access.

Exhibition exposure can open doors for textile start-ups, but industrial adoption remains the harder test. After ITMA 2023, companies working in cleaner dyeing, laundry automation and fibre traceability converted visibility into trials, funding and partnerships. Their progress shows how sector-specific platforms can shorten the route from early recognition to commercial deployment across global textile manufacturing.

The Government of India has outlined measures to promote eco-friendly textiles, organic fibres and natural dyes, citing rising global demand and export potential. Initiatives include cluster-based pilot projects, research collaborations, branding efforts and organic cultivation schemes to strengthen sustainable production, certification and domestic manufacturing across the textile value chain.

An APEC report has assessed how agro-industrial waste can be converted into textile dyes, positioning agricultural residues as inputs for circular production systems. The study examined technological, industrial and policy pathways to reduce synthetic dye pollution, address performance constraints in natural colourants and strengthen traceable linkages between farming communities and textile manufacturers.

Waterless dyeing has historically struggled with fibre limitations, slow cycles, and inconsistent shades. Recent industrial trials now suggest those constraints have been fixed. Swapneshu Baser, Managing Director of Deven Supercriticals explains how architectural changes in dye placement and process flow transformed supercritical CO₂ from a niche alternative into a viable, scalable dyeing medium for mainstream textiles.

Scientists from the University of Leeds have developed SwitchDye, a novel polyester dyeing method that uses carbonated water to reduce chemical discharge and water waste. The approach lowers environmental impact, simplifies recycling, and supports more circular textile production by enabling dyes to be easily inserted and removed without requiring new industrial equipment.

University of Arkansas chemical engineering researchers have successfully developed a groundbreaking environmental remediation method that transforms lignin, an abundant waste byproduct generated by the global pulp and paper industry, into a highly effective solution for removing toxic azo dyes from contaminated textile wastewater systems with remarkable laboratory-tested effectiveness rates.