Traditionally pretreatment, colouration and finishing are referred to as wet processes as they take place in large tanks or baths filled with water that is constantly kept at a high temperature. Alongside the pretreatment, colouration and finishing steps, a significant amount of water and chemistry is wasted as the fabrics also have to be washed off to remove excess dyes and chemicals. Approximately 10-50% of dyes are washed out in this process, ending up in the effluent water. 

Natural dyes and pigments, from sources like algae and plants, have existed for centuries but have historically been overlooked by the fashion industry due to inferior performance, limited colour palette and higher prices than synthetic dyes. However, new disruptive cultivation, extraction and application processes have the potential to overcome these barriers and enable the (re)implementation of natural dyes at scale. Using natural dyes and pigments enables a shift away from synthetic chemistry and in some instances the feedstock used ie: plants, algae or waste means the dyes and pigments have the potential to be carbon negative. However, uncertainty around these alternatives’ scalability, performance, and standardisation has hindered widespread adoption. The industry lacks a reliable framework to evaluate and implement these sustainable dye options, posing a challenge for brands to transition to environmentally friendly practices effectively.