Eco-Awareness Chat #2- Aren't you dyeing to know?

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 Hello, Everyone!

This week's installation of my eco-friendly chat is going to be centered around the process of commercial yarn dyeing and its environmental impact. I have to start off by saying I am not a yarn dyer. It is on my bucket list of things to learn, but as of yet, I have not done it. I had also never really given the impact of yarn dye a whole lot of thought before I started reading and researching for these blog posts. 

**NOTE to anyone who actually reads my blog post: This article is by no means meant as a way to make anyone feel bad about their choice to use a commercially dyed synthetic or natural product. As you know, I am not an environmentalist. I, also, purchase and use the same products as you. But, I am learning new things and I'm passing that along to you. What you do with the information is up to you. Plus, the information available for researching dyeing processes is unending, so I'm just hitting the highlights.

So, in all of my reading and research what have I learned? That commercial dyeing in the textile industry is one of the greatest threats to the ecosystem on the planet. It is not because of the dye, so much as the process it takes to make dye adhere to the fabric. If you are really into reading and trying to understand science, you can find a comprehensive look at the various processes and their effects on the environment in this article written and supported by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ribeirao Preto- University of Sao Paolo, Brazil and by FAPESP, CAPES, and CNPq. However, if you would like the Cliff Notes version, here you go:

What is the process of dyeing?

First, you prepare the "fabric" by cleaning it of anything that might keep the dyes from penetrating the fibers. There are various preparations depending on the type of fiber you are using. Some of them require hydrogen peroxide and bleach treatments.

Next, you apply the dye. All dyes require a mordant (a substance used to fix dyes to fibers) of some sort. The combination of dye and fiber determines what type of mordant you will use to achieve a certain color. The dye goes into the water bath and eventually so does the fiber. 

Then, it's the finishing. In the industrial version of this, they will apply a cocktail of chemicals aimed at increasing the quality of the fiber. There are heat and steam treatments, ultrasonic treatments, liposomes, and all sorts of other ways of finishing off the dyeing process. It all depends on what the fiber is, what the color is, and what its intended use is. Included in this is a LOT of water.

Here's where the environmental impact really comes in. The most consistent part of the dyeing process is the amount of water it takes to achieve each step. According to the Ribeirao Preto article,

 "Each time the fabric is exposed to a separate bath, it uses five to ten times its own weight in water." 

It's the washing baths that create the greatest harm.  

...because that water has to go somewhere. And too many companies have just been dumping the toxins from the leftover dyes that didn't adhere to the fabric back into the water flow. Combined with the various chemicals used in the various baths...all pumped into the environment. Sunlight can't penetrate these colors. Oxygen cannot be produced by foliage, greenery dies, and the water now becomes toxic to humans and animals alike. 

The earth was not created with the natural ability to process and eliminate synthetic dyes from its environment. According to Wikipedia, the textile industry is the second-largest employment-generating industry in India. They are living proof of what improper chemical dumping has done to the environment. In this article written by Ravi Kumar and published on environmentalpollution.in he states that

 "The Bandi River in Rajasthan is dying. Flowing through various villages of Rohet tehsil in Pali district, its water has a reddish hue. It can no longer be used for irrigation or drinking. Even animals do not drink this water."

Think about it. It's like the plastic we talked about in last week's blog post. We are taking unnatural things and dumping them into the natural and telling it...here, do something with this. 

Are natural dyes the answer to the question? Natural dyes are the colors extracted from plants, animals, trees, etc. On an industrial scale, based on the articles I have read, I'm going to say no. The reason is that water usage is still an issue. And even though they are natural, some of them still require chemicals to create color adherence in the finished fabric, which can then create toxic water issues. Also, it is very hard to get consistent color reproduction and saturation from natural dyes. Many of us are so used to bright, rich colors- can we switch to more natural tones?

There has been much study and talk about trying to create a system for which natural dyes can be used in a commercial setting, but as Kumar stated in his article,

 "The amount of research effort devoted to natural dyes is negligible. If there had been significant research on the use of natural dyes, it is probable that they would already be much more widely used than they currently are." 

I'm going to be honest- this all sounds very depressing, doesn't it? 

BUT, this isn't the end of it. Because the eyes of the world have started zeroing in on the textile industry and how it has harmed the environment with its synthetic dyes,

 "responsible dye manufacturers are investigating ways to treat their dye effluent (wastewater) with organic materials and bacteria, rather than chemical treatments to improve dye manufacture and processing to minimize hazardous chemicals used," (maatee, maateeusa.com, What is wrong with synthetic dyes). 

Also, I am personally involved with a company whose entire business is based on environmentally friendly eco-conscious yarn products. Good Loops Yarn 

I have a scarf kit with them for the Four Seasons Scarf using the Eco-Fusion (cotton/bamboo blend). I love working with them and I love the yarns they have available. Good Loops is a stockist for Nurturing Fibres based in South Africa. Here's what Nurturing Fibres has to say about their relationship with the environment from their website. 

"We are conscious that, if not properly managed, our passion for dyeing yarn could have an environmental impact and we believe that by careful planning we can make a difference. With this in mind, we designed our dyehouse to run with the lowest possible environmental impact and the greatest possible socio-economic benefit to our very small local community."

They include information about their use of renewable energy resources, creating jobs, how they conserve water, and what they use for supplies. I appreciate their transparency. It makes me feel good to spend a little extra on a product I know will not harm the environment and will feel amazing. 

A few other ways for us to "take it back" would be to purchase from indie dyers OR learn to dye our own yarn. Dyeing yarn isn't for everyone. It may not even be on your radar. But, maybe you're like me and want to use yarn dyeing as an extension of your creativity? I feel like I would have so much more control over the items that I make for ministry giving, and I can control a small part of my environmental impact. Like I said at the beginning, this is a bucket list project. 

I know, I know...it's such a small thing. One person learning about dyeing processes and possibly making changes to how they make yarn purchases isn't going to change the world. 

Or is it? 

It all starts with awareness.