Dyes

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.

Pili has a mission—it produces decarbonised alternatives based on renewable resources for sustainable industrial applications. Pili President Jérémie Blache explains how Pili uses hybrid processes combining industrial fermentation and organic chemistry to manufacture sustainable, high-performance colour ranges for the textiles industry.

Designing for death! You read it right. And then an exhibition that encourages visitors to consider end-of-life decisions and how their choices can impact human and environmental well-being. Dr Sherry Haar, a natural dye and design scholar, investigates all of this and more to generate awareness about green burial through her fibre art.

Researchers from Japan’s University of Fukui have optimised a decolorisation process which effectively penetrates fabric fibres to remove the dyes with minimal environmental impact. The extracted dyes can be reused, and the fabrics be redyed.

The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has come out with a report that aims to encourage innovators, brands, retailers and manufacturers to work together so that the industry can collectively achieve environmental impact reduction goals.

Soon discarded cleaning cloths or paper cups could be used as an efficient filter for water polluted with harmful dyes by coating them with a fine nano-fabric.