This blog post was written by Celia from Junk LdN - a sustainable swimwear brand that is remade from plastic found in the ocean like plastic bottles and fishing nets. For super cute and sustainable swimwear, check out JUNK here

Are fabric dyes costing the earth?

Colourful garments have long been a staple in the fashion industry, it’s the first thing you notice before you can touch and feel the fabric, or try the garment on. Colourful clothing and prints are a fun way for individuals to express themselves & even brighten up a gloomy day. Fashion is art, after-all! But is all this colour costing the earth?

It’s said that you can tell next season’s colour trend by the colour of the waterways in China.

An estimated 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used to bleach, treat, and colour our clothes (which is an insane amount). Unfortunately, many riverways surrounding garment factories have been turned into thick, chemical soups of discarded fabric dyes which then filter into the water systems. Most of the countries that manufacture these garments rarely regulate their water waste disposal, meaning large fashion brands & factories are not held accountable for the damage.

Image Source https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-chinas-polluted-water-2016-3?r=US&IR=T

Azo Dyes

The most popular of the synthetic dyes are called Azo dyes. Azo accounts for over 70% of all dyes in the industry due to being cheap to produce. These dyes, when broken down, are a known carcinogen, due to the fact they contain heavy metals such as iron, copper and chrome and are responsible for high intensity hues.

Local communities surrounding garment factories feel the effects of these toxic chemicals the most - the Citarum River, In Indonesia (referred to as most polluted river in the world) is the dumping ground for many waste chemicals, despite approximately 35 million people relying on water from the river. There have been links to increased cancer rates, skin diseases, and slow mental development in children.

It’s not all bad news.

The good news is that you don’t have to completely give up colourful clothing! There are some great alternatives to synthetic fabric dyes. Of course, the most sustainable option is to shop secondhand clothing or re wear the clothes you already own - but it’s not always possible and when you need something new, here are some things you can look out for:

OEKO-TEX certified dyes. Fabrics that are dyed using OEKO-TEX dyes have been certified free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be toxic to the environment, human & animal health. These dyes are long lasting & can still produce vibrant hues,

Natural vegetable dyes. Long before synthetic dyes existed, we used to dye clothing with vegetables and spices such as beetroot, turmeric and onions. Handling vegetable dyes is much better for those producing the clothing as there are no man-made chemicals involved and the dyes don''t impact on the fabric bio-degrading at the end of its life-span. The only downside to using vegan dyes is that they can make the clothing harder to care for and certain colours can fade more quickly than conventional dyes

Digital printing. Prints are fabulous, but it’s important to make sure that clothing is being printed in the right way. Traditional methods of printing use tonnes of water & CO2, as well as toxic dyes o create bright print colours. Digital printing is a method that uses a digital machine to precisely print the ink which avoids any dye waste, this method also uses barely any water or C02 & can be done with the OEKO-TEX certified non-toxic dyes.

We have a long way to go before we sort out our issues with fabric dying, but looking out for brands that are using the above methods and checking fabric labels is the best place to start!

This blog post was written by Celia from Junk Ldn - Check out her amazing swimwear, remake from ocean plastic (think plastic nets and plastic bottles) here:

Why are fabric dyes bad for the environment?

Are fabric dyes costing the earth?