Fashion for Good launches sustainable dyestuff library

Fashion for Good, a non-profit organisation, has launched The Dyestuff Library, a digital tool that allows partners to select environmentally friendly dyestuff for commercial use based on competitive performance and environmental indicators.

The dyestuff library is supported by Fashion for Good’s corporate partners Adidas, Inditex, Bonprix, and Otto International (members of the Otto group), Bestseller, Target, Patagonia, Paradise Textiles, Welspun, and newest partner Shahi Exports, as well as other supporting stakeholders. By enabling visibility and access to innovations, the dyestuff library will hasten the transition from harmful chemistry to more sustainable options.

Katrin Ley, managing director at Fashion for Good, said that when they share their existing expertise and open up new technologies to one another, the sector shifts toward becoming more sustainable. Competition won’t lead to the industry’s true transformation; collaboration will. They are excited about the launch of their Dyestuff Library initiative, which will make an extensive library for the entire industry to use.

90% of our clothing is now synthetically coloured, according to FFG, yet the toxin and ecological consequences are quite bad for people and the environment. A lot of work has gone towards eliminating hazardous chemistry throughout the years, and efforts to create non-hazardous chemistry remain ongoing.

Alternative dyes derived from plants, microbes, algae, and recycled materials are widely accessible today, but the industry finds it challenging to transition to these eco-friendly choices due to the lack of information on their effectiveness and scale.

Lewis Shuler, head of innovation at Paradise Textiles, said that the Dyestuff Library is a wonderful endeavor to validate reduced impact colorants, helping to lessen the need for some of the chemically intensive synthetic colorants used today. Paradise Textiles is excited to contribute their technical textile expertise by applying and testing these colorants on a wide range of fibers and constructions and then sharing this knowledge with the wider industry.

15 dyestuff innovations that have been chosen will take part in lab and pilot trials over the course of a year. To make sure they are secure for commercial usage, innovators will undergo comprehensive compliance and toxicity testing. Our supply chain partners Paradise Textiles and RDD Textiles, as well as our university and lab partners NimkarTek, Institute of Chemical Technology, and UNICAMP, will assist in evaluating the efficacy of these cutting-edge dyes and pigments on various textile substrates. In addition, collaborating Fashion for Good partners, textile industry professionals, and ZDHC will offer their experience to this project and support subsequent stages for industry adoption.

Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, innovation manager at Bestseller, said that they require dyeing innovation that prioritizes less wasteful procedures, decreases water usage, and consumes less energy. The fashion industry must support efforts with an upscaling approach in order for new ideas to become commercially viable in order to achieve this, which is why Bestseller is so enthusiastic about this project. The Dyestuff Library is exactly the kind of effort and collaboration between brands, suppliers, and dyestuff developers.

In order to facilitate the adoption of innovation in the fashion industry, Fashion for Good will keep expanding the library after the project is finished with new innovators, materials, fabric constructions, testing techniques, and revolutionary coloration machines.