Fashioning a dry future for textiles

Image: Vishal Banik, Unsplash

Global initiative Fashion for Good is accelerating a shift from wet to dry processing in the manufacture of textiles for clothing in order to reduce water consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

At the heart of Fashion for Good is an innovation platform which seeks to bring new ideas and technologies into the mainstream. The most recent development is the launch of the D(R)YE Factory of the Future, a new consortium bringing together several innovations in textile pre-treatment and colouration.

In the fashion value chain, textile processing is responsible for the highest greenhouse gas emissions, and significant water and chemical use. The innovations selected by Fashion for Good have the potential to reduce emissions by up to 89% and to cut water consumption by between 83 and 95 per cent.

Katrin Ley, managing director at Fashion for Good said, Textile processing is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the supply chain and a shift to mostly dry processing is crucial for the path to net-zero.

"Given the interdependencies in the processing stages, a stand-alone assessment of solutions is not sufficient. By validating a combination of technologies, we can unlock the full potential of those solutions. This is why this project is so pivotal.”

Disrupting processes

D(R)YE Factory of the Future is partnering with brands Adidas, Kering, PVH, Arvind, and Welspun India, along with innovators, to bring together several novel technologies, with the aim of disrupting the current practices in textile processing, pre-treatment, dyeing, printing and finishing.

Although numerous innovations already exist, they are often explored in isolation. To achieve greater impact and accelerate the shift to more sustainable practices, the project is bringing several innovations together to test them in combination and explore the potential to scale up.

Working closely with participating Fashion for Good partners and key supply chain players, eight innovators - Alchemie Technologies, Deven Supercriticals, eCO2Dye, GRINP, Indigo Mill Designs, imogo, MTIX and Stony Creek Colors - will collaborate to demonstrate innovative solutions in pre-treatment and colouration, across five different materials - cotton, polyester, blends, denim and wool.

Technologies tested include plasma and laser treatments, spray dyeing, supercritical carbon dioxide and foam dyeing. The results from the evaluations, as well as next steps for implementation, will be shared in a report in late 2022.

Fashion for Good is a global initiative with the aim of making “all fashion good”, by encouraging best practice, sparking innovation, offering practical support and funding, and by fostering sector-wide collaboration rather than competition. It has an Innovation Hub and a museum in Amsterdam.

Fashion for Good Museum, Amsterdam. Image: Fashion for Good

"By validating a combination of technologies, we can unlock the full potential of solutions. This is why this project is so pivotal.”

Katrin Ley, Fashion for Good