As of now, the process works only with cotton and select other natural fibers the company is looking into expanding the use case for cotton-synthetic blends.ĬolorZen initially aims to partner with high-end brands that have the high margins capable of absorbing the modest but additional cost of its alternative dye process. Technical director Tony Leonard claims that with ColorZen's process, 97 percent of the dye chemicals bond to the fabric, creating a significantly cleaner dyebath at the end of the process.īecause ColorZen doesn't rely on freshwater resources for its process, future dyeing facilities can be located virtually anywhere - even in arid regions - and could end up strategically placed near the next link in the global supply chain, says Hariri. The additional time required to ship the fiber to and from the ColorZen facility is balanced out by the reduced dyeing time the company's dye process takes just one-third of the time of the traditional process, says Hariri. Manufacturers interested in the ColorZen solution avoid additional capital expenditures the company maintains a dyeing facility and global headquarters in China where apparel producers send their raw cotton fiber for pretreatment and dyeing. ColorZen launched informally at the Continuum Show this year, following with a formal press event on August 7. The process uses 90 percent less water and 75 percent less energy than the standard cotton dyeing procedures, he adds, while achieving the same rich hues and colorfastness. ![]() "We change the fiber on a molecular level, the part that's responsible for attracting or repelling the dye," says ColorZen co-founder Michael Hariri. Backed by 15 years and millions of dollars of research in a North Carolina laboratory, ColorZen pretreats cotton fibers to create a natural affinity between the fiber and dye, thereby eliminating the chemical additives currently required to force the dye to adhere. "When you lose those places, you lose more than a creek or a stream - you lose the opportunity to pass them on to the next generation," she explains.Ī new startup is hoping to disrupt the status quo and clean up the textile industry's black eye. Cousteau developed her love of oceans when she was 11 years old and exploring their vast expanses with her famous explorer grandfather, the "steward king" of aquatic environments. The textile dyeing industry is responsible for 20 percent of worldwide industrial water pollution, the World Bank reports. "We live in a hydrosphere where all water resources are connected," says Alexandra Cousteau, water conservationist and granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau, speaking in New York on August 7. The continuing saga in Indian textile production city Tirupur, where manufacturing facilities have come to a standstill after the Noyyal River has become clogged with pollution, is perhaps the most glaring example of the severity of the industry problem. ![]() Most alarming, however: pollution from textile dyeing dumps 72 toxic chemicals into waterways - 30 of which cannot be removed once they've entered the water. And half of all garments produced annually are made from cotton.ĭespite all of the technological advances in manufacturing apparel, the cotton dyeing process hasn't changed significantly since the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, of all fibers, cotton requires the most water for the dyeing process. The cotton industry produces 30 million tons of the fiber each year, and roughly 13 gallons of water are needed to dye just one pound of cotton. ![]() ![]() The statistics are as familiar as they are disheartening: according to the World Health Organization, 1.1 billion people don't have access to potable water, which is the biggest single cause of illness and disease. For decades now, the international apparel and textile industry has faced a problem that may seem too big to solve: how to reduce or eliminate water pollution that's a direct result of the production process - especially the resource-intensive dyeing process.
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