Signal Algae coatings as a replacement for synthetic textile dyes

Summary

Coatings made from algae are emerging as a fully bio-based way to give textiles their colour without synthetic dyes. The fabrics produced this way are naturally coloured and are reported to keep their brightness and durability. The motivation is the damage done by conventional dyeing, since the textile sector discharges about 180,000 tonnes of dye-laden wastewater each year. That effluent contaminates drinking water, harms aquatic species and degrades whole ecosystems. If algae coatings can match synthetic dyes on performance, they offer a path to cut one of the most polluting steps in clothing production.