Sustainable Dyeing Techniques in Fashion: The Role of Bacteria

Sustainable Dyeing Techniques in Fashion

In today's fast fashion, dyeing techniques have a significant impact on the environment.

However, an innovative solution comes from the use of bacteria. This new method of dyeing garments reduces water consumption by up to 90% and eliminates the use of harmful chemicals. Let's discover together this cutting-edge technique that combines fashion and sustainability.

The Environmental Impact of the Textile Industry

According to the European Environment Agency, the fashion industry contributes up to 15% of global CO2 emissions, exceeding international flights and maritime transport combined.
It is estimated that textile production is responsible for 20% of global drinking water pollution, mainly due to dyeing processes. This situation highlights the urgent need for alternatives to chemical dyes.

Natural dyeing with bacteria

To reduce the use of chemicals in textile dyeing processes, bacteria and bioengineering offer a sustainable solution. Many companies are adopting innovative approaches to make the fashion industry more eco-friendly. Let's look at two examples of cutting-edge technologies.

Norwich-based biotech company Colorifix has developed a system funded by the European Union that uses microbes to produce organic dyes. This method requires DNA sequencing to obtain natural pigments, reducing water consumption by 77%, the use of chemicals by 80% and natural gas by 71%.
This technology transfers the genes responsible for producing pigments from insects or plants to bacteria, which give colour to fabrics in a sustainable way.

Another innovative approach is that of designers Laura Luchtman and Ilfa Siebenhaar, who use pigment-producing bacteria to dye fabrics. By cultivating the bacteria on the surface of the fabrics in a nutrient liquid, after a few days they obtain spots of colour.

This method allows for significant savings in water use: to dye a t-shirt, instead of the traditional 5.5 litres of water, only half a litre is used, reducing water consumption by 90%.

Research and development in the field of microbiology are shaping the future of sustainable dyeing. These processes represent crucial solutions for eco-sustainable fashion, eliminating harmful substances and protecting the environment.