Archroma, a leader in colour and specialty chemicals, has announced that its new EarthColors range of nature-inspired dyes has been named to the shortlist of entries being considered for a 2015 Innovation Award by ICIS Chemical Business magazine.

The annual competition includes five categories, and a total of 13 entries have been shortlisted this year. EarthColors has gained recognition as one of three contenders in the category called Innovation with Best Benefit for Environment & Sustainability.

After the final stage of judging in early September, ICIS will select individual category winners, as well as an overall winner.

Commitment to innovation

“We are delighted that ICIS Chemical Business has recognized the innovation involved with developing this new product line,” said Thomas Winkler, President Textile Specialties at Archroma.

“This nomination highlights Archroma’s Textile Specialties Business commitment to develop products and processes that are safer and gentler for the consumer and for the environment. The entire EarthColors* team feels like a winner already.”

EarthColors

EarthColors, available exclusively to eco-conscious fashion brand owners, is Archroma’s patented new method of creating warm ternary shades from nature.

These high-performance dyes are synthesized from non-edible natural products such as almond shells, saw palmetto or rosemary leaves that otherwise would be sent to landfill. They can be used to provide rich red, brown and green colours to cotton and cellulose-based fabrics denim and casualwear.

The new dyes have been four years in the making. They have the overall performance of the company’s existing range of sulphur dyes made from conventional raw materials. Archroma describes this new development as a step-change in dyes manufacturing and coloration technology. The new range is produced near Barcelona, Spain, with all raw materials sourced from within a radius of 500 km.

Hang tags

Additionally, Archroma puts information about individual batches of colour on hang tags that are attached to each item of clothing.

Each hang tag incorporates a chip with all such relevant details on it, and that information can be accessed by the prospective buyer in the shop using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology incorporated into their smartphone – thereby providing a new level of environmental transparency and traceability to consumers.

www.archroma.com