Green is the new black: Fashion for Good launches sustainable dye pilot project
Amsterdam’s sustainable fashion platform has launched the Black Pigment Pilot project, in collaboration with international clothing brands, to validate and scale black pigments made from waste that are less harmful to the planet than synthetic dyes.
Scaling sustainable dyes
Fashion for Good, an Amsterdam-based platform dedicated to sustainable fashion, has launched a Black Pigment Pilot project. Working with clothing brands and innovators, the pilot aims to validate and scale black pigments made from waste feedstocks.
Fashion for Good managing director Katrin Ley said: “Collaboration is key to making a step change in replacing the abundantly used harmful dyes in the industry, of which black is dominating. We are very excited to be able to support this first-of-its-kind collaborative pilot aiming to validate three technologies that will enable the industry to switch to more sustainable (black) dye chemistry.”
Synthetic dyes are often derived from petro-chemical compounds that are non renewable and contribute to water pollution.
The project aims to develop and scale sustainable black pigment dyeing of man-made cellulosics (MMCs) fibres and recycled polyester (rPet) yarns. The pilot will assess the technologies of the participating innovators; Graviky Labs, Nature Coatings and Living Ink, who produce black pigment from industrial carbon emissions, wood waste and waste algae, respectively.
Working with Birla Cellulose and Paradise Textiles, their methods will be measured on performance, colour fastness, wearability and impact. Successful formulations will then go on to trial larger production runs with fabrics dyed using the innovations, with the long-term goal to integrate these technologies at commercial scale.
Amsterdam's conscious creative industry
Over the last several years, the Amsterdam Area has become a leading centre for sustainable style at almost every level, including education, design and innovation. Fashion for Good is a hallmark of the sustainable fashion industry in the region, helping to foster more eco-friendly processes through international collaborations, startup accelerators and public awareness.
The Amsterdam Area is also home to companies supporting designers that want to take a more sustainable approach, such as BYBORRE, whose textile innovation studio helps designers create custom fabrics, Wieland Textiles, which makes new fabrics from recycled materials, and Dyecoo, which has developed a water and chemical-free dying process. Earlier this week, Brightfibre Textiles announced plans to open the first fully circular textile factory in Amsterdam.