Companies develop biodegradable reflective pigment

A group of UK-based organisations has announced what they call the world’s first plastic-free, toxin-free, and fully biodegradable reflective pigment. The breakthrough comes from an 18-month collaboration between materials science company Pangaia, University of Cambridge spin-off Sparxell, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

The project, named Elucent and supported by Innovate UK, showcases how science, engineering, and design can work together to build sustainable colour solutions. It marks an important step as bio-based pigments move from lab research into industrial production.

The team combined Sparxell’s cellulose-based colour technology with Pangaia’s design know-how and MTC’s expertise in scaling processes. With support from London’s Orto Print Studio, Pangaia developed printed fabric samples and tested their durability, ensuring the pigments could be applied in real-world fashion and industrial contexts.

MTC played a key role in building custom production systems and proving the pigments could perform consistently at an industrial scale, not just in laboratory settings.

Recent Posts

Yanpai orders needlepunch lines from Andritz

Zhejiang Yanpai Filter Technology has placed a new order with Andritz for two additional high-performance needlepunch production lines.

3 days ago

Chinese textile group Sunrise to invest in Morocco

Sunrise has started building a textile factory in Morocco through its newly formed subsidiary, Euwen Textiles. Construction has begun in…

3 days ago

Tendam, UDIT study carbon impact of fashion e-commerce

Tendam, in partnership with the University of Design, Innovation and Technology, has released a new study examining the carbon footprint…

4 days ago

Mycelium-based insulation emerges as solution for fast-fashion waste

Researchers from Latvia have identified mycelium-based insulation as the most promising reuse option for fast-fashion textile waste.

4 days ago

Researchers turn PET waste into anti-cancer medicines

A breakthrough has revealed a new way to convert PET from plastic bottles and synthetic textiles into key components used…

4 days ago

India–New Zealand FTA to boost Indian textile exports

The proposed India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to significantly strengthen Indian exports.

5 days ago