Specialty chemicals Swiss manufacturer Archroma has released a new technology which upcycles textile waste into vibrant colours. These colours are synthesised from a minimum content of 50% waste-based raw material.
- With this new technology called FiberColors, Archroma’s R&D experts have developed a way to use cotton and/or polyamide and their blends (with a >95% purity) to substitute the major part of the petroleum-based raw material usually used to make dyestuff.
- The FiberColors technology is currently being offered exclusively to brand owners, and the dyes will therefore only be supplied to their approved textile mills.
The Range: The resulting FiberColors range, which is patent-pending and therefore exclusive to Archroma, includes five dyes covering a palette of timeless shades: Diresul Fiber-Teak (brown shades), Diresul Fiber-Ochre (olive shades), Diresul Fiber-Maroon (bordeaux shades), Diresul Fiber-Slate (blue grey shades) and Diresul Fiber-Graphite (dark grey shades).
- The dyes are especially suited for cellulose fibres such as cotton, viscose, linen and kapok, and can be used in continuous, exhaust, denim and garment dyeing and printing processes.
- A brand can now turn its own pre and post-consumer textile waste into its own beautiful colours, and create a complete collection including t-shirts, chinos, sweatshirts, hoodies, polo shirts, and home textiles.
- The FiberColors range can be applied with most well-established dyeing processes, such as continuous piece dyeing, jet/overflow exhaust coloration, garment dyeing, as well as processes typically used in the denim coloration (slasher, rope).
The Backdrop: According to Earth.org, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year, a number that is expected to soar to 134 million tonnes by the end of the decade.
- Around 85% of all textiles discarded in the US are said to end up in landfills, leading to land and water pollution impacting first and foremost local communities.
- Archroma decided to look at the issue creatively: create colours from fashion waste.
Looking to Scale Up: Archroma is looking to partner with those brands who already have access to sorted and shredded pre and post-consumer & industrial waste which will both perform similarly.
- In addition, Archroma is also looking to partner with sorters and shredders who are looking to upcycle the residual waste, e.g. dust and fibres that are not suitable for fibre-to-fibre recycling.
Other Details: Archroma uses its manufacturing facility, near Barcelona, with state-of-the-art dye synthesis equipment specially adapted to produce the FiberColors.
- The target is to connect with brand partners who want to make a significant impact with a FiberColors collection of a minimum 300,000 pieces/articles.
- This quantity is based on the minimum quantity of textile waste required to create a single batch of FiberColors dyes.
What They Said:
After creating colours from food and herbal waste with EarthColors, we are taking a step further in circular manufacturing with FiberColors, addressing the huge textile and fashion waste global issue. This is how we make our purpose to lead our industry towards a more sustainable future for our customers and markets, a reality. Because it’s our nature.
— Heike van de Kerkhof
Chief Executive Officer
Archroma
