Natural Dyes: Sustainable Fashion

by Arthur Hall

Student at Thomas Jefferson University

For as long as there has been clothing there has been different ways of producing colored dyes and ways of manipulating fabric to be more attractive to the eye. There are many ways to incorporate dye into a fabric. My personal favorite and the most “sustainable” option are using natural dyes. Natural dyes come from all sorts of plants, whether it’s from the roots, seeds, or leaves. These dyes could also derive from living organisms such as shellfish or mollusks. Just because something is titled as natural does not mean it is completely sustainable in some cases, using dye from a snail to get the perfect purple is not very earth friendly, killing millions of these living animals can be seen as inhumane and not very sustainable. But that is just one of countless ways to produce a colored fabric. There are tons of harmless plant dyes that can give off crazy color hues without mass murdering snails.

“Dehmel said the trend in sustainable dyeing to use natural dyes from food waste , tea, plants, flowers herbs and spices is “starting to scale up,” along with “waterless synthetic dyeing processes, even in floral colors.” (Friedman) Since the pandemic there has been a boost in sustainable and earth friendly ways of creating whether it is through natural dyes or fabrics. When using natural dyes at home there is a bit of waste when it comes to which dye you are using and how much water you have used to create your work. Pangaia, a British clothing brand, has tapped Colorifix for a more sustainable dying method for a certain desired color. “The Norwich-based firm uses DNA sequencing to identify the genetic code of any color found in nature, whether from a plant, animal, insect, or bacterium. Those blueprints are “translated” into a microbe, which essentially acts as a tiny dye factory.” (Chua) This company uses a crazy technology to get the desired color, picking whatever color you want then having it be grown  for the brand. Colorfix is using an evolutionary way of taking the waste out of dying and adding interesting solutions for the industry’s growing waste problem. The amount of water that is seen used and wasted during a routine dying session for a popular brand can be astronomical when compared to a more sustainable natural dying process. It is also very intriguing how this company can make dyes that are derived from nature and can be used on synthetic and natural fibers, this is something that can cause problems since natural dyes traditionally only apply to a natural fiber.

Natural dyes also have a problem when showing off their color, they eventually fade the more you wear the piece with the dye. The best example of this is when you wear a pair of jeans over and over and the dark navy of the indigo gets washed and becomes faded over so many wears, and washes. But, with a dye such as madder, a natural dye derived from a root that gives off red-orange hues you can see the dye fade quicker than your standard indigo dye. For some this may be a problem, I personally tend to like the way dyes fade, it tells a story.

Ever since the start of Covid-19 there has been an impact on how sustainable brands could get and practice earth friendly processes. I believe that using these natural dyes can be one of many steps in the right direction to turning the fashion industry eco-friendly. This would be a long journey, one that has a lot of competitors and people who are just looking to make the most money as possible, those people do not care where they get their bright red t shirt from or how its processed into said product.

With that said, there are many companies who are turning towards these sustainable practices and wanting to make an effort towards a safer environment when it comes to natural dying and sustainable fashion.

Even if you aren’t a person that works for a big company there is still no reason to choose a synthetic dye over natural dyes to do your tie dying projects at home. These processes also work very well when trying to hide a stain on a shirt.

Works cited:  

Chua, Jasmin Malik. “Pangaia, Colorifix Are Using DNA to Scale up Natural Dyes.” Sourcing Journal, Sourcing Journal, 16 Nov. 2021, https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/raw-materials/pangaia-colorifix-biotechnology-natural-dyes-dna-sequencing-sustainable-313488/.  Friedman, Arthur. “From Food-Waste Fibers to Natural Dyes, Why Future Fabrics Should 'Embrace' Sustainable Innovation.” Sourcing Journal, Sourcing Journal, 4 Aug. 2020, https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/raw-materials/food-waste-fibers-natural-dyes-sustainable-innovation-functional-fabric-fair-222898/.