“We all feel very concerned by the beauty products we put on our skin, and we want them to be as natural as possible. Well, we should do the same with textile.” Shared by Patrick Brenac, co-founder of natural dyeing company Green’ing, this thought says a lot about one of the major current stakes of the textile industry : combining aesthetics and ecological impact. A vital issue when it comes to dyeing, when 60% of consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced by color. Today, 57% of dyeing processes remain synthetic, with a high ecological impact.

Towards the industrialization of plant-based dyeing

Natural dyes made of plants offer a sustainable, organic alternative. “We use renewable materials from our own organic plant production in the South of France, extracted in the form of ready-to-use powders.” Says Patrick Brenac. Green’ing also uses agriculture and agroindustry by-products, working with essential oil companies, wineries or the forestry industry.

For Marine Telenczak, Associate Manager of Atelier Pile Couleurs – specialized in dyeing samples, prototypes and small quantities – coloring optimization depends on three key parameters : water temperature, treatment time and pH. “We now have dyes for natural fibers that allow us to lower the temperature, and therefore reduce the impact. Others limit the need for rinsing baths or have good affinity with synthetic fibers, allowing for a faster coloring.”

Atelier Pile Couleurs aims for a semi-industrialization of plant-based dyeing, a big challenge that also involves a proper marketing approach. “You have to make consumers understand that color of their clothes will evolve overtime.” A successful bet for brands such as Patagonia, which has made it a major selling argument.

Biotechnology is on the front line

Biotechnology also offers solutions that put the technical process at the heart of R&D. It is the case of Ever Dye’s bio-sourced dyes, which are made with bio-polymers that allow for a quick fixation and thus reduce the need for washing. Their technology has seduced the Adore Me brand, a first step towards a larger scale development. Meanwhile, company Colorfix works with a process that manages to identify natural pigments and extract their genes, to generate large quantities of these same pigments by means of fermentation. A highly technical process conducted at a low temperature, adopted by the Italian brand Albini.

As dystopian as these initiatives sometimes seem, they are becoming very real, thanks to a sector driven by technical and creative innovation. It’s now up to the industry to catch up, and to consumers to keep their mind open. A designer and natural dye specialist, Aurore Thibout concludes : “It all starts with the color possibilities that nature offers. This questions our relationship with the very notion of beauty, and what we are capable of doing, as a society, to move in the right direction.”