Waste dyes

adding value to our waste

Amsterdam is full of amazing culinary spots that can potentially be used as a circular source of biochromes. Discarded fruit and vegetable remnants from local markets, small businesses, large producers, and households, that are often considered useless, are perfect for this purpose. This is because besides botanical sources, biochromes can be extracted from sources like avocado pits, onion skins, and spinach leaves to create pigments that not only offer a diverse spectrum of colors but can also offer a sustainable option for textile dyeing. Moreover, it can create a unique connection between Amsterdam’s waste and textile dyers.

The colors shown below are just a few examples of organic waste types that can be used to dye textiles. Many creative textile dyers are experimenting with these types of dyes, and the potential for beautiful colors is amazing. Try it out yourself! Do note that most of these dyes fade over time. However, this does not have to be a limitation if we change the way we look at dyed textiles. Picture having the flexibility to wear your favorite top in various colors by simply redyeing it. Or other interesting applications like color-changing clothes. We can change our relationship with fashion if we change the way we think about dyed textiles.