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Non-toxic dyes are gaining a foothold in fashion – when will interior textiles follow suit?

BOOKMARK ARTICLE

While the fashion industry has come under fire – and rightfully so – for its role in polluting and the overconsumption of water, it is making strides in rectifying its wrongdoings. Part of that is changing the dyeing of textiles to a biobased process. Karianne Fogelberg explores these developments and how interior design will follow in its footsteps.

The textile industry is one of the most polluting and water-intensive industries, and dyeing is one of the main culprits. Synthetic dyes are cheap, highly performant and capable of achieving vibrant colours – think of the latest neon trend – but many are known to be carcinogenic. Moreover, they require vast amounts of water. The dyeing and finishing phase of textile fibres can require up to 200 tons of water for every ton of textiles produced. As they do not bind tightly to the fabric, they are discharged as effluent – together with de-foamers, detergents, bleach, optical brighteners, equalizers and many other chemicals – into the aquatic environment, having negative consequences on the planet and human health.

Cover and above: Colorifix identifies naturally occurring pigments and uses DNA sequence data to identify the genetic code of that pigment.

The fashion industry has been strongly criticized, and in light of new norms adopted under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive and consumer protection laws such as REACH, it has been the first to implement novel technologies which are based on bacteria-grown dyes and promise to detoxify and decarbonize the colour business. When the Biofabricate Summit, the leading event on design and synthetic biology comes on 10 through 12 January for the first time to Paris, these two biotech firms will draw attention to the potentials that arise from biologically synthesized dyes. And what holds for the fashion industry is also true for interior design. 

Good for the planet and budget

Take Colorifix, a biotech company based in Norwich, England, founded in 2016 by two synthetic biologists and a 2023 finalist for the Earthshot Prize. Colorifix developed the first entirely biological dyeing process, turning natural pigments into industrial dyes with zero petrochemicals and none of the hazardous substances necessary in conventional dyeing. Its technology has been certified with the Oeko-Tex Eco Passport and fashion brands such as H&M, Pangaia and Vollebak who have dyed garments with Colorifix further add to its credentials. Colorifix identifies naturally occurring pigments and uses DNA sequence data to identify the genetic code of that pigment. Through synthetic biology, they build and insert the DNA code into a microbe that can be used to not only produce the pigment but also transfer and attach the colour onto fabric: ‘Our microorganisms deposit and fix the pigment in a very efficient way,’ says Rui Sa, CCO. ‘All that is sent to the jet machine is the fermentation broth, no petrochemicals or additional water are required, and anything that goes to the water treatment plant is free of chemicals.’

DNA code is built and inserted into a microbe that can be used to not only produce the pigment but also transfer and attach the colour onto fabric.

According to a recent LCA, their method has a lower environmental impact at every step of the process compared to conventional chemical dyeing at the same plant: 77 per cent less water, 50 per cent less energy due to shorter dyeing cycles at lower temperatures, and without producing any toxic waste. This also means potential monetary savings for their industrial partners, including Portuguese textile company Acatel, RDD and Swiss textile producer Forster Rohner. ‘We are already working with our customers, the dye facilities, to think about how they can become full Colorifix in terms of dyes', says Georgina Gilmore, commercialisation manager. They are preparing to expand activities from Portugal and Italy to Brazil, Sri Lanka, India and Turkey.

From denim to inks and paints

Another pioneer in bio-based dyes is the French start-up Pili, founded in 2015 by designer Marie-Sarah Adenis. Its first product is a high-performance bio-based indigo currently scaled to enter production this year. It is set to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions from its production by more than 50 per cent while providing the same intensity and durability as synthetic dyes.

Pili is a high-performance bio-based indigo currently scaled to enter production this year. It is set to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions from its production by more than 50 per cent while providing the same intensity and durability as synthetic dye.

‘Our scalable technology produces high performance and decarbonized colours that can be used in place of petroleum-based products, are compatible with existing equipment in the denim industry and require no investment from the manufacturers,’ says Pierre-Yves Bolle, business and partnerships manager from Pili. For the recent exhibition Glory to the Microbes, which they will once again show at the Biofabricate summit, creative director Marie-Sarah Adenis invited artists to engage with new microbial imaginaries and contribute drawings which were screen-printed with their indigo dye, on a mission to popularize microbes as our living collaborators in a fossil-free future. In addition to its bio-based indigo dye, Pili has plans to develop dyestuff for each type of fibre and to address other markets such as ink, paints and coatings.

During the Glory to the Microbes exhibition, artists were tasked with using the indigo pigment for screen-prints to popularize microbes as our living collaborators in a fossil-free future.

As the fashion industry sets out to detoxify textile dyes and pigments, one may wonder when this transformation will reach the interior design industry. Interior fabrics must withstand higher standards than garments in terms of shear strength, flame retardance and UV resistance and they come with different finishings. This is especially true for the contract business. Further research and development will be required to cultivate bio-based dyes that can fulfil these requirements. A growing awareness of the harmful impact of toxic substances and the urgency to introduce adequate environmental protection and safety standards for consumers and workers alike, together with rising charges for waste disposal and energy prices, are likely to drive the uptake of bio-based dyes in the interior design industry too.

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