In this essay, we will explore dyeing in the fashion industry. Color is life: it brings joy, expresses personality, and even reflects our daily mood. How many times have you chosen an outfit just because the color seemed to match your mood? But behind that vibrant color lies a complex, and not always sustainable, process that reveals challenges that go far beyond the simple application of pigment.
I started looking into this topic hoping to find clear answers about the real impact of textile dyeing on the oceans and the solutions that are being worked on. But as I got deeper into it, I realized that it's more complicated than it seems. The alternatives out there aren't ready for the scale of the industry yet. Maybe the best thing to do is to start the conversation, bring up the issues, talk about the possibilities, and acknowledge the challenges that are still there.
Impacts of textile dyeing
Clothing manufacturing begins with spinning the raw material, continues with weaving, and ends with finishing, a stage that includes processes such as dyeing. According to the study by Quantis International 2018the three main factors impacting global pollution in the fashion industry are dyeing and finishing, yarn preparation, and fiber production.
The article The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion, quoted by Quantis BCG Company, indicates that the fashion industry consumes more than 79 trillion liters of water per year.
The subject “The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion Explained”, published by the Earth.org, points out that the fashion industry is the second largest consumer of water, requiring about 700 gallons to produce a cotton T-shirt and 2,000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans.
How the dyeing process works
Fabric dyeing occurs in three stages: preparation, dyeing, and fixing.
Preparation consists of getting the fabric or yarn ready to receive the color, which may involve pre-washing or applying chemical agents. Dyeing, in turn, is the application of color, usually done in equipment that raises the temperature of the solution and agitates the fabric in a closed system. There are tools that help fix the color by applying pressure to the fibers. To ensure the durability of the color, a fixative is used, a chemical dissolved in the dyeing solution to preserve the color for longer.
In immersion dyeing, for example, the fabric is submerged in the dye solution for a period of time, ensuring continuous contact until the color sets. To achieve efficiency, the process can be repeated several times with high fixing intensity.
According to the report Pulse of the Fashion Industry (2017), dyeing can consume up to 150 liters of water per kilogram of fabric. In developing countries such as India, Bangladesh, and China, where much of the production takes place and environmental legislation is less stringent, wastewater is often discharged untreated into rivers.
Sustainable alternatives
Faced with this scenario, I began to reflect on possible paths forward. In a world moving toward sustainability, it would be natural to imagine that this transformation had already been resolved. But looking more closely, I see that there is still no clear, effective, and accessible solution to transform this fashion sector on a large scale.
Even so, I believe in the power of small steps. Local changes, even if modest, are the seeds of a more ethical, conscious, and connected future for the planet.
Below, I share some of the sustainable dyeing techniques available today — alternatives that point to a new possible path in fashion.
1 – Sustainable dyeing with natural materials
This process uses dyes extracted from organic sources such as plants, fruits, and minerals. In addition, it eliminates heavy metals and toxic substances.
Eco-friendly ingredients: these have minimal environmental impact and are increasingly used in textile finishing.
2 – Replacement of fixing agents with more sustainable alternatives
In some processes, solvents are used to fix the color, especially when the dye is not water-soluble. These solvents, widely used in industry, are usually derived from petroleum, a non-renewable fossil fuel, and cause significant environmental impacts, both due to their origin and the waste they generate.
One way to reduce this impact is to encourage research into and use of sustainably sourced fixing agents. There are already promising initiatives, such as that of Colorifix, which replaces conventional chemicals with compounds derived from biofuels, promoting a cleaner and less environmentally harmful process.
3 – Dyeing with supercritical CO₂
In this method, supercritical CO₂ replaces water to transport the dye to the fibers. The process takes place in a closed circuit: the CO₂ is pressurized, applied, and then recycled, eliminating the use of water and reducing the generation of chemical waste.
COMPANIES IN CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION
Patagonia – founded in 1973 in California (USA)
Patagonia was founded by Chouinard with a humanistic perspective. Since then, the brand has been supporting revolutions in favor of more conscious fashion.
The following video presents a natural alternative to the synthetic dyes traditionally used to give jeans their indigo color.
Eileen Fisher – founded in New York in 1984 (USA)
Eileen Fisher invests in dyeing techniques with less environmental impact. Since 2012, the brand has adopted the use of responsibly dyed silk, a process that continues to evolve, with a constant focus on improving fabric finishes.
Check out one of the sustainable silk dyeing processes used by the brand.
DyeCoo – founded in the Netherlands in 2008
DyeCoo develops technology that uses pressurized carbon dioxide to dissolve and apply dyes, resulting in an efficient, waterless process.
Discover CO₂ dyeing technology in action.
FINAL POINT, WITH PURPOSE:
We are in the Decade of the Ocean, and talking about the impact of fashion on water has broadened my view on how to create in harmony with nature. By bringing new possibilities, I see a path opening up, whether in local solutions or emerging technologies.
