Textile dyeing is one of fashion’s biggest sustainability challenges. Conventional dyeing relies on chemical processes that require large amounts of energy and water. Most dyes are derived from petrochemicals. According to company EverDye, which is working on sustainable textile dyeing, textile dyeing is responsible for about half of the fashion industry’s emissions, which in total make up 8-10% of global carbon emissions, and dyeing makes up half of those emissions, or 4-5% of global emissions. I found that to be surprising. They also note that the textile industry is the world’s second-biggest polluter of water and generates 20% of global wastewater. Thus, if one could make textile dyeing more sustainable, less energy-intensive, and mitigate wastewater better, it could be hugely impactful.
EverDye’s CEO Philippe Berlan
noted that the company does not use petrochemical-based dyes. Instead, it uses
biopolymers and iron oxide to create what he describes as a hybrid molecule.
According to Interesting Engineering:
“The resulting dye is designed to bond with fibres
through a physical attraction rather than the conventional chemical-intensive
process used today. As Berlan explained, the process takes advantage of charges
already present on prepared textile fibres.”
“There is a kind of magnet effect, and this magnetic
effect creates a great affinity of our dye stuff to jump on the fibre,” he said.
The process happens at room
temperature. No heat is required, as in petrochemical dyeing. With no need for
heat and additional chemical processing, he says the process can eliminate up
to 90% of carbon emissions. He also says the process can reduce water
consumption by 30% and it produces wastewater that is non-toxic. This is
important since wastewater from textile plants has been implicated in
environmental degradation with impacts on water quality, habitats, and possibly
on human health.
EverDye is currently working
to bring its methods from the lab to commercial scale-up. Berlan notes that
EverDye’s approach has an advantage over competitive sustainable dyeing
approaches because it can use existing textile industry production infrastructure.
“Rather than simply recreating historical dyeing
techniques, EverDye is attempting to combine modern scientific understanding
with more sustainable feedstocks and manufacturing methods.”
Berlan also acknowledges that
AI and automation can be used in research and innovation for sustainable
dyeing. It can help discover new molecules and can help with sorting and
recycling.
“However, technology alone will not solve the industry’s
sustainability challenges. Berlan believes meaningful progress will require
cooperation between brands, manufacturers, technology developers, and consumers.”
In an article back in January
for Move the Needle News, Berlan talked about some of the difficulties of
getting the new dyeing process going commercially:
“Dyehouses around the world are optimized for
conventional wet processes, and switching to something new means retraining
operators, adjusting procedures, and taking on perceived risks,” says Berlan.
“Even when a solution is technically ready, aligning supply chains, quality
standards, and production economics takes time.”
“Conventional dyes dissolve in water, diffuse into
fibres under heat and are fixed using salts and chemical binders. EverDye’s
pigments rely on electrostatic attraction instead. Instead of dissolving in
water and relying on heat and chemical fixatives, their pigments carry a
positive charge that allows them to attach directly to fibers that have been
pre-treated to carry a negative surface charge.”
“This shift changes the conditions under which dyeing
happens. “It’s like a little magnetic attraction happening at room temperature,
which eliminates the need for hot baths and toxic chemicals,” says
Berlan.
Material composition is another key difference. “Our
pigments also bio-based, coming from organic waste and minerals, which makes
them non-toxic and far more sustainable than petrochemical alternatives,”
Berlan adds. “This approach lets us shift dyeing from a high-energy chemical
problem into a surface chemistry solution, which is much gentler on both people
and the planet.”
Another challenge is meeting
quality standards. Berlan says that EverDye meets those quality standards,
citing collaborations with brands like AdoreMe. He also notes that EverDye’s
process is reproducible, providing consistent quality. He notes that the company
currently offers mostly limited colors: browns, oranges, and yellows. This is
due to the use of iron oxides.
“Operational change is still required, but it is
incremental rather than structural. “There is a small learning curve for
operators to manage dosing and quality control, but overall it’s about changing
the process rather than replacing machines,” he explains. “This makes it much
easier for mills to adopt our technology quickly and confidently.”
The EverDye process is also
up to five times faster since it does not require rinsing steps and application
of additives, usually toxic ones. Berlan expects prices to come down in the
future for the bio-based dyes.
“While EverDye expects pigment prices to fall as volumes
increase, Berlan is clear about current realities. “We will gradually reduce
the price of our pigments and dyes through economies of scale, but they will
probably remain more expensive than conventional pigments with comparable
performance.”
“Cleaner fibers also mean that recycling—whether
chemical or mechanical—becomes much easier,” he explains. “In practice, this
can make fiber-to-fiber circularity more achievable and efficient, which is
critical for a truly sustainable textile industry.”
Berlan also cites
collaborations with the organization Fashion for Good, which is helping test
the process in real-world supply chains.
He adds that the biggest lesson for them so far has been
that technical innovation alone isn’t enough. “You need to demonstrate
consistent quality, cost-effectiveness, and easy integration for mills to
actually adopt a new process. Science can deliver a breakthrough, but
real-world adoption comes from building trust, showing reproducible results,
and making the technology feel like a natural extension of existing operations.”
References:
From
petrochemicals to pigments: how EverDye is reinventing textile dyeing. Christopher
McFadden, Interesting Engineering. August 7, 2026. From petrochemicals to pigments: how
EverDye is reinventing textile dyeing
The
most sustainable way to color fabric. Rethinking the relationship between
fashion and our ecosystem for colorful, long-lasting, low-impact wardrobes.
Everdye. Product - Sustainable colors for
creative industries
Tackling
one of fashion’s hardest climate problems — how EverDye is rethinking colour.
Move the Needle News. January 28, 2026. Tackling
one of fashion’s hardest climate problems — how EverDye is rethinking colour
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