Material Innovation: Waterless Dyeing Technology Benefits for Apparel Manufacturers

The textile industry is widely known as one of the most polluting and environmentally damaging sectors on the planet. It relies heavily on raw material consumption, toxic chemicals, labor exploitation, and ultimately generates massive waste.

One of the most impactful, and often overlooked, stages in this chain is dyeing.

Well-known among manufacturers and producers, but less visible to consumers, dyeing is a resource-intensive phase that contributes significantly to water waste in garment production.

Traditional dyeing methods can consume up to 200 liters of water to dye just 1 kilogram of fabric. Globally, textile dyeing and finishing contribute an estimated 17-20% of industrial water pollution due to the chemical-laden wastewater discharged from factories.

These conventional processes also require significant energy (for heating water) and involve hazardous chemicals that harm workers and ecosystems. In response to these issues, waterless dyeing technologies have emerged as a game-changing material innovation.

In addition, today, most of what we wear is dyed synthetically:

Today, as much as 90% of clothing is dyed synthetically and requires incredible amounts of water and often toxic chemicals in production. - Good On You

By eliminating water as the primary medium for coloring textiles, waterless dyeing promises dramatic reductions in environmental impact, with some techniques claiming 80-95% lower impacts across various categories compared to traditional dyeing.

For apparel manufacturers, adopting waterless dyeing goes beyond “just” an eco-friendly move, because it can also bring efficiency gains, cost savings, and competitive advantages.

In this article, we explore how waterless dyeing works and the key benefits it offers to apparel manufacturers. Keep reading.

Innovations in Waterless Dyeing

As the name implie, waterless dyeing refers to a set of innovative textile coloration techniques that do not use water as the main solvent in the dyeing process. Instead of dunking fabrics in vast baths of water and dye, these methods utilize alternative mediums or processes to impart color.

The three main approaches using waterless method are:

Supercritical CO₂ Dyeing

Uses carbon dioxide in a supercritical state (between liquid and gas) as the dyeing solvent instead of water. In this process, CO₂ fluid penetrates fibers carrying the dye, then is recaptured and reused. This was pioneered by Dutch company DyeCoo and first commercialized in collaboration with major brands.

We can proudly say that we deliver great results on an industrial scale, which is not to be taken for granted when implementing a completely new technology. - Quote from DyeCO’s team.

Solvent-Based Dyeing

Replaces water with special organic solvents in a closed-loop system. The solvents (often recyclable) act as carriers for the dyes, reducing or eliminating the need for water heating and large aqueous dye baths. Because the solvents are reused, far less fresh input is needed each cycle.

One example of a solvent-based method is Supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) dyeing. According to the Textile Processing Guide produced by Fashion for Good, it consists of replacing water with supercritical carbon dioxide as the dyeing solvent. In its supercritical state, CO₂ behaves like both a liquid and a gas, allowing it to dissolve dyes and flow through fibers efficiently.

Image sourced from Wtin.com

______

The process takes place in a high-pressure vessel where scCO₂ carries dye directly into the textile. Once dyeing is complete, the pressure is released, the CO₂ turns back into gas, and both the dye and CO₂ can be recovered and reused.

This closed-loop, waterless system eliminates wastewater and reduces chemical and energy consumption—making it a standout in sustainable textile innovation.

Solution Dyeing (Dope Dyeing)

Adds pigment directly into the fiber or plastic polymer solution before fibers or yarns are formed. This way, the color is "built in" to the material, virtually eliminating the need for any fabric dye bath later. This technique, often used for synthetics, can cut water use to near-zero during the manufacturing stage.

According to Global Textile Times, these are some ways waterless dyeing works through the dope dyeing method:

1. Preparing the Color Mix (Masterbatch): The process begins by creating a masterbatch, a concentrated mix of pigment and plastic. This is blended with the raw material (polymer resin) used to produce synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, or polypropylene.

2. Melting and Blending: The masterbatch is mixed with melted plastic chips, ensuring the color is evenly distributed throughout the entire melted material.

3. Spinning the Fibers: The colored liquid is pushed through a spinneret (a device with tiny holes) to form long, continuous fibers. As the material exits, it cools and solidifies into fine filaments.

4. Making the Yarn: These fibers are then stretched and sometimes twisted to form yarn. Because the color is embedded in the fiber itself, it remains vibrant and consistent.

5. Building the Fabric: Finally, the colored yarn is used to construct the fabric through knitting, weaving, or other techniques—no additional dyeing or rinsing required.

Other novel methods also fall under waterless or low-water dyeing.

For example, AirDye uses heat/pressure to transfer dye from printed paper onto fabric (sublimation dyeing) instead of a water bath. Another is NTX Cooltrans, a modern transfer printing technology that applies color without water or heat, achieving up to 90% water reduction and 40% less dye usage in practice.

While each technology differs, the common thread is that water use is cut to near-zero, drastically lowering the environmental footprint of dyeing.

Plant-Based Dyeing: A More Responsible Approach to Water Use

Unlike conventional dyeing, (which often relies on synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and excessive water usage) plant-based dyeing offers a more grounded, responsible alternative. While water is still part of the process, it’s used in far lower volumes and without harmful additives.

The result? Minimal wastewater and no toxic runoff – just color extracted from nature itself, using ingredients like indigo leaves, madder root, and turmeric.

This slower, regenerative approach protects waterways, supports healthier working conditions, and allows for a deeper connection between craft and environment.

Industry of All Nations (IOAN) brings this philosophy to life through its Clean Clothes Project in southern India. Here, organic cotton is cultivated, handwoven, and dyed using locally sourced botanicals – completely free from synthetic dyes or chemical fixatives.

Any water used in the process is clean, biodegradable, and easily reintegrated into the local ecosystem.

Image sourced from: https://industryofallnations.com/

—————

The result are garments that honors ancestral knowledge, empowers artisan communities, and reduces environmental impact. From unprocessed cotton essentials to organically dyed denim, IOAN proves that color and conscience can co-exist.

It’s a real-world example (among many others) that more responsible dyeing practices are already in motion. Keep reading to discover how adopting these methods can benefit you as a manufacturer – both on the production floor and in meeting your environmental goals.

Environmental Benefits of Waterless Dyeing for Textile Manufacturers

If you’re a manufacturer looking to adopt more sustainable practices, waterless dyeing is a strong step in that direction. It directly addresses the biggest environmental challenges of conventional dyeing: excessive water use, energy consumption, and chemical pollution.

We know there’s a lot to weigh, especially if you’re a smaller operation balancing sustainability with budget constraints. That’s why we’ve broken down the environmental benefits clearly in the section below, and afterwards we’ll get into costs benefits and considerations.

Slashing Water Consumption:

By removing water from the dye process, manufacturers can cut water usage by 70-100% in that stage.

We can bring in an example that dates back over a decade: Nike’s ColorDry implementation – a waterless dyeing technology that completely eliminated water from the fabric dyeing process.

It saved around 30 liters of water per T-shirt, a massive shift considering the trillions of liters used annually by conventional methods. It’s a clear case of how major brands have successfully scaled innovative solutions.

Such reductions are critical in countries facing water scarcity and relieve manufacturers from dependence on local water supplies or costly water treatment facilities. But it’s not just the big players cutting water use.

Noyon Lanka, a mid-sized lace and trim manufacturer based in Sri Lanka, developed Planetones – the world’s first 100% natural dye system designed specifically for nylon lace.

This innovation enabled them to phase out conventional water-based synthetic dyeing methods – including reactive and disperse baths – across their key product lines.

With Planetones, they’ve achieved up to 30% water savings, 15% energy reduction, and virtually zero toxic effluent. The system is Control Union Eco-Dye certified, meets ZDHC MRSL Level 1, and complies with Oeko-Tex standards. It’s already in use by several global lingerie brands.

What makes Noyon stand out is their position: they’re a tier‑2/3 supplier, not a major global brand.

Yet they made the strategic choice to eliminate water-based dyeing altogether – proving that scalable, transparent innovation doesn’t have to wait on top-down mandates. They’re doing what many brands talk about, but few actually implement.

Image sourced from www.noyonlanka.com
________

Reducing Water Pollution:

Beyond water conservation, waterless dyeing prevents the discharge of hazardous chemicals into rivers, as traditional dyeing wastewater contains dyes, salts, and toxic compounds that require intensive treatment.

So technologies like the one we mentioned above, leave practically no wastewater pollution. Beyond doing a “favor” to the environment, the lack of contaminated water discharge means you can more easily comply with environmental regulations and avoid the fines or community backlash associated with pollution.

As an added benefit, removing water eliminates the need for drying fabric after dyeing, which further avoids potential runoff and reduces processing steps.

Fewer Chemicals and Safer Process

As we touched on earlier, one of the biggest perks of waterless dyeing is how it cuts way down on chemicals. In many cases (like with CO₂-based methods) you don’t need any of the usual add-ons like salts, fixatives, or processing agents, as the dye itself does the job.

For you as a manufacturer, that shift has real, everyday impact. Fewer chemicals to buy. Less hazardous material for your team to handle.

Simpler processes, safer working conditions, and fewer problems when it comes to meeting compliance standards for wastewater or restricted substances. It’s not just cleaner for the planet, it’s cleaner for your factory too.

Lower Energy and Carbon Footprint

Traditional dyeing requires a massive amount of energy. Heating large tanks of water, then drying wet fabric, makes it one of the most energy-intensive steps in garment manufacturing. But waterless methods flip the equation.

Technologies like supercritical CO₂ dyeing can cut energy consumption by up to 60%, since the process runs in a closed loop and the fabric comes out dry, meaning no extra energy is needed for drying. In fact, when H&M piloted CO₂ dyeing, they reported energy savings of 67%.

For manufacturers trying to cut emissions or prepare for incoming carbon regulations, these numbers can be game-changers: Lower energy use means lower costs and a more resilient operation.

Production Efficiency and Cost: The Other Side of Waterless Dyeing

Beyond its environmental upside, waterless dyeing is also beginning to shift how manufacturers think about operations, cost-efficiency, and competitiveness.

For many, especially small and mid-sized facilities, adopting new technology can feel daunting: the upfront investment, the learning curve, the operational risks… it can all seem like too much to handle.

But when it comes to waterless dyeing, the long-term gains are worth a closer look.

These systems don’t just reduce environmental impact, they can also streamline production, lower utility and chemical expenses, and simplify compliance over time.

In fact, for manufacturers facing rising energy bills, stricter wastewater regulations, or pressure from brand partners to decarbonize, waterless dyeing can offer more than just a greener option. It can be a smarter business move.

Efficiency, consistency, and resource savings are no longer trade-offs to sustainability. In this case, they’re built into it. Keep on to understand more:

Faster Throughput

New dyeing systems often compress production timelines. For example, Nike’s ColorDry system reduces dyeing time by up to 40% compared to traditional methods. Similarly, supercritical CO₂ penetrates fibers much faster than water, often cutting dye cycles in half.

Add to that the fact that fabrics come out dry, and you eliminate post-dye drying time altogether: a game-changer for manufacturers looking to meet tight lead times or turn around large-volume orders more efficiently.

Lower Operational Costs

There’s no avoiding the upfront investment. Of course, some waterless dyeing machines cost millions. But over time, operational savings can more than make up for it.

DyeCoo estimates that its CO₂ system can lower production costs by 30–50% over the long term. That’s thanks to drastically lower water bills, reduced energy use, fewer required chemicals, and minimal wastewater management costs. When there’s no toxic effluent to treat, compliance gets easier, and CAN get cheaper.

Reduced Factory Footprint and Resource Use

Without huge dye vats, drying machines, or wastewater treatment infrastructure, waterless dyeing also makes more efficient use of space. At the ColorDry facility operated by Far Eastern New Century in Taiwan, Nike reported a 25% reduction in factory footprint. For manufacturers planning new facilities (or rethinking old ones) that kind of spatial flexibility can open the door to added capacity, streamlined layouts, and lower maintenance costs.

Maintaining Quality and Color Consistency

Performance is critical. Luckily, waterless dyeing doesn’t compromise on quality. In fact, it often outperforms traditional methods. For example, the CO₂ process delivers deep penetration, colorfastness, and vibrancy, all without the inconsistencies of water-based systems. According to Nike, ColorDry achieved “the most saturated, intense and consistent color” they’d ever seen.

Innovation and Market Differentiation

There’s also the reputational upside. Early adopters like CleanDye in Vietnam are attracting top-tier global brands by offering CO₂-dyed materials with lower impact. Brands like Decathlon and Marco Polo already source from CleanDye – and demand for partners with sustainability credentials continues to grow.

By offering waterless dyeing capabilities, manufacturers can tap into new contracts, differentiate themselves in a competitive market, and even charge a premium for low-impact production. At a time when brands are under mounting pressure to disclose and reduce their environmental impact, suppliers who can help them do that have a serious edge.

Real-World Examples of Adoption

Waterless dyeing has moved from pilot phase to industrial reality, as seen in several partnerships between technology providers, manufacturers, and brands.

While projects like Nike’s ColorDry are well-known examples of large-scale implementation, we want to spotlight 2 manufacturers that operate at a more medium scale, outside the multinational tier, who have successfully brought less water dyeing into real production.

Noyon Lanka: Scaling Natural Dye Innovation for Lace

Already highlighted earlier in this piece (and worth returning to), Noyon Lanka is a mid-sized lace and trim manufacturer based in Sri Lanka. The company made waves when it launched Planetones™, the world’s first 100% natural dye system for nylon lace.

Unlike conventional methods that rely on water-based reactive or disperse dyes, Planetones eliminates water from the dyeing process altogether.

This shift was, of course, a sustainability win. But it was also a strategic move that redefined how trims could be produced at scale. The system achieves up to 30% water savings, 15% energy reduction, and virtually zero toxic effluent, while meeting strict certifications like ZDHC MRSL Level 1, Control Union Eco-Dye, and OEKO-TEX.

What makes Noyon stand out is its position: a tier 2–3 supplier, not a multinational. Yet it took initiative to design a new dye system from scratch rather than waiting for client demand. That kind of proactive innovation is rare, and it proves that even outside the big-brand spotlight, SME manufacturers can lead on environmental performance.

We aRe SpinDye: Waterless Dyeing for Polyester

A Swedish fashion-tech SME, We aRe SpinDye, developed a solution-dyeing process that infuses color directly into recycled polyester pellets before fiber extrusion. This eliminates the need for conventional wet dyeing altogether. The results are significant: up to 75% less water, 90% fewer chemicals, and 25% lower energy use, with verified CO₂ reductions around 30% (The Australian).

SpinDye has secured partnerships with established brands such as Fjällräven, Quiksilver, Roxy, and Peak Performance, proving that the technology is not just experimental, but commercially viable.

For manufacturers, SpinDye’s model demonstrates how targeted innovation and measurable impact can open doors to brand partnerships, differentiation, and long-term competitiveness in a market moving toward lower-impact dyeing.

We believe in abandoning the harmful practice of water dyeing, and instead lead by example to inspire the textile world to choose a modern, more sustainable method of dyeing. - We aRe SpinDye®

Challenges and Considerations

While the benefits are compelling, apparel manufacturers should also weigh the challenges and realities of implementing waterless dyeing:

• High Capital Investment: The cost of waterless dyeing equipment remains a barrier. A single supercritical CO₂ machine can range from $2.5 to $4 million – a steep ask for SME manufacturers. Solvent systems also require added infrastructure like pressure vessels and recovery systems. Support from brand partners or policy incentives can help, and prices are expected to fall as adoption grows.

  
  

• Fiber and Dye Limitations: Most current waterless methods work best on synthetics like polyester, using disperse dyes. Cotton and natural fibers require extra steps or niche solutions, like the ColorZen pre-treatment process. Manufacturers using diverse materials may need hybrid approaches for now

  
  

• Operational Learning Curve: Switching dye methods means retraining teams. Supercritical CO₂ systems require new knowledge of pressure, temperature, and CO₂ handling. Dye recipes need to be re-optimized, and sourcing compatible dyes may be limited early on. Success often depends on close collaboration with chemical suppliers.

  
  

• Data and Impact Verification: Environmental claims vary widely depending on how impact is measured. Carbonfact points out that savings can appear inflated when compared to outdated baselines or when system boundaries are unclear. Manufacturers should request transparent data, ideally third-party LCAs or run pilot trials tailored to their own operations.

  
  

• Industry Uptake and Scale: The dyeing industry is traditionally risk-averse. Even with growing momentum, many mills are hesitant to abandon water-based processes. According to Yale e360, smaller players may wait until bigger brands prove ROI. The good news: suppliers like DyeCoo are already scaling production and launching smaller, electric machines – opening doors for broader use.

A New Era for Sustainable Manufacturing

Despite the challenges, waterless dyeing represents a significant leap forward in sustainable manufacturing. It addresses one of the most water and chemical intensive steps in apparel production in a practical way.

For apparel manufacturers, embracing this innovation can yield a triple win: environmental responsibility, operational efficiency, and market advantage. As we proved earlier, adopters have shown that it’s possible to maintain or even improve quality while radically shrinking the resource footprint of dyeing.

This positions manufacturers not just as suppliers, but as innovation partners to brands striving for sustainability.

The key message here? Waterless dyeing needs scale.

Like many of the innovations pushing fashion toward a more just, ethical, and responsible system, it cannot progress without support. These solutions require visibility and the right infrastructure to become viable for a broader range of players.

That is where World Collective comes in. Built by industry experts, it is designed to open access to material innovation for brands and manufacturers of all sizes, because small and medium players cannot adopt these tools without the systems to support them. And innovations like waterless dyeing should not be limited to large companies alone.

We are actively working to bring technologies like this into the World Collective Ecosystem.

What would it look like in practice? Manufacturers using waterless dye methods would be able to showcase their materials to serious buyers and enable brands to discover and source them in more accessible, cost-effective ways.

Here is what that could look like in practice:

• Waterless-dyed textiles listed and searchable on our platform

• Verified suppliers gaining global visibility

• Brands accessing innovative materials without high minimums or complex barriers

While we continue building the systems that make this possible, we are inviting forward-thinking stakeholders to learn more about how we are enabling real change in sourcing.

Explore what innovation at scale can look like:

→ Fabric Innovations 2025: How Next‑Gen Textiles Are Rewiring Fashion

→ Smarter Supply Chains Start Here: Inside World Collective’s Ecosystem

The industry does not just need new ideas. It needs systems to support them.

Written by Maria Eugênia Lima, Junior Digital Content & Social Media Producer at World Collective