Color is the
main attraction of any fabric. No matter how excellent its constitution, if
unsuitably colored, it is bound to be a failure as a commercial fabric. The manufacture
and use of synthetic dyes for fabric dyeing have become a massive industry
today. Synthetic dyes have provided a wide range of colorfast, bright hues.
However, their toxic nature has become a cause of grave concern to environmentalists. Thus, there has been a tremendous surge in bringing nature back into the dyeing processes.
The startup Zeefier is trying to fight two battles on different fronts.
On the one hand, it is trying to promote the use of seaweed to solve many of the sustainability problems of the fashion industry, particularly synthetic dyes. On the other hand, it is also trying to avoid pushing “seaagricultural” practices that could harm the environment in other ways. So instead, the seaweed they use for their 100% natural dyes is collected from food and cosmetic wastes, enabling a more circular economy that reduces the risk of growing or harvesting seaweed too much.
Given the nature of seaweed, some might doubt how varied the dyes produced from these plants can be.
In truth, the potential colors seem to sit on a specific range, but it is not at all limited as one might presume. There are, of course, browns and greens, but there are also oranges, purples, and pinks. Despite the existence of red seaweed, the red dye has proven to be a bit problematic.
At least for now, blue seems to be out of the question, too.
Fortunately, Zeefier intends to develop the secret sauce to make seaweed-based dyes and textiles successful and commercially viable. This kind of sustainable thinking pushes bright minds to utilize the wealth of materials that the Earth provides us, especially those quickly replenished. At the same time, Zeefier’s advocacy is also a testament to how an overabundance of anything can be harmful and that we do not need to grow or harvest more seaweed than we are already throwing away.
