Lenzing leads waterless dyeing tech for sustainable knitwear

A significant collaboration between Lenzing, Exponent Envirotech and Cobalt Fashion has led to a new waterless dyeing technology called Ecohues. This innovation aims to revolutionize the textile industry by reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

Traditional dyeing methods use massive amounts of water, up to 120 tons per ton of yarn. Ecohues replaces water with a recyclable solvent, slashing water usage by 95 per cent. This also simplifies the dyeing process, reducing processing time and energy consumption.

Beyond water savings, Ecohues eliminates salt usage, a major contributor to textile wastewater salinity. It also significantly reduces dye requirements while achieving superior color fastness compared to traditional methods. This technology integrates seamlessly with Lenzing's Tencel and Lenzing Ecovero fibers, which are known for their sustainable production processes. Combining these fibers with Ecohues creates an exceptionally eco-friendly textile solution.

The collaboration focuses on applying Ecohues to knitwear. The initial collection utilizes yarns made with Lenzing fibers dyed with Ecohues technology, showcasing the potential for high-performance, sustainable knitwear.

This partnership represents a major step towards a more sustainable textile industry. By reducing water usage, energy consumption, and environmental impact, Ecohues paves the way for a greener future for fashion.