Archroma & Cotton Inc Renew Eight Year Old Collaboration
Archroma and Cotton Inc, the research and promotion company for cotton have renewed their eight-year collaboration to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable circular economy.
The two organisations began working together in 2016 when Cotton Inc approached Archroma with the goal of developing a dyestuff from by-products of cotton production.
The US, the world’s third-largest cotton producer and largest exporter, produces sustainable cotton fibre for the textile and apparel industry as well as cottonseed for food and animal feed.
Cotton farming and processing also generate byproducts, such as burs, stems and leaves that are used to create insulation, packaging, erosion control products, and more.
“Cotton Incorporated recognized the potential to use these natural byproducts to produce dyes,” Archorma said in a press release.
Drawing on a century-long heritage of sulfur dye innovation, Archroma was able to apply its patented EarthColors technology to create Diresul Earth-Cotton using cotton by products from the US supply chain.
An alternative to the usual oil-based dyes, Earth-Cotton allows brands to offer textile products in warm natural shades, using cotton to create both fabric and dye.
“Ideal for a circular economy; the soft and durable cotton fibre, and the rest of the cotton plant are resilient and can be reused and recycled before returning to the earth,” Mary Ankeny at Cotton Inc said.
Cotton Inc is committed to working with innovative leaders like Archroma to continue finding new ways to advance circularity and expand programs using cotton,” Ankeny added.
“The development of Diresul Earth-Cotton is a clear example of sustainability sparking innovation that delivers value across the whole textile chain,” Umberto De Vita from Archroma Textile Effects said.
“We are excited to continue to exchange ideas and knowledge with Cotton Inc as a reliable partner helping lead the textile industry towards a more sustainable future,” De Vita too added.
