Dyeing cotton might be a thing of the past
The fashion industry is known for being unsustainable but scientists are helping to change this with innovations in creating more sustainable materials including color cotton plants. Scientists of CSIRO revealed their discovery of natural grown colored cotton that can cut back on the excess waste of dyeing fabrics in the textile industry.
Processing raw materials into finished products results in a massive amount of waste and the textile industry produces the world’s biggest sources of wastewater in the dyeing process. Growing colored cotton would eliminate the need for dyeing and is a creative sustainable solution that is much needed in the textile industry.
"Having the cotton plant produce its own colored fiber is a game changer."
Scientists @CSIRO have discovered a way to grow colored cotton, which could reduce the need for dyeing fabrics in the textile industry– one of the world's biggest sources of wastewater pic.twitter.com/zA9rB1drxe
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) August 3, 2020
Scientists at CSIRO insert the genes into white cotton that will naturally transform natural white cotton and dye the natural fibers during the growing process. This sustainable colored cotton comes in a variety of colors including yellow, orange, purple, and red.
A lab in Canberry, Australia is transforming tiny plant cells into viable colored cotton and working on additional textile products including wrinkle-free cotton. This innovation is another step towards a sustainable future for the fashion industry.
