Dyeing denim jeans is one of the top sources of pollution within the fashion industry. That is why researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) developed a new indigo dyeing technology that’s kinder to our planet.
According to the researchers, the technique reduces water usage and eliminates the toxic chemicals that make the dyeing process so environmentally damaging. The technology also streamlines the process and secures more colour than traditional methods.
“The textile industry is a classic example of an environmental polluter, and one of the major causes of pollution in the industry is colouration,” said Sergiy Minko, a professor of fibre and polymer science at UGA and a corresponding author of the study.
Originally, natural indigo was used to dye textiles. Introduced to the Colonies in the 1700s, indigo was an important cash crop for early America. But the discovery of a way to produce synthetic indigo almost entirely wiped the natural indigo...