Impact of Natural Dyes

Lately, I have been immersed in the interesting charm of natural dyeing trends. It started as research for me towards sustainable fashion. I made several fascinating discoveries of Indonesian and International brands that focus on using only natural dyes, such as Imaji Studio, Suku Home, Kana Goods as well as natural dye artisans and designer, Cara Marie Piazza. With this intense curiosity, I researched to deepen my knowledge on this topic better.

Image Reference: ediblela.com

Synthetic dyes have been used for centuries in the fashion industries and can be found in most of the clothing we see and own today. There are, indeed, a lot of benefits in using synthetic dyes, including more affordable, can be used in any fabrics, and the great ability to produce vibrant colors. Despite these facts, it contains a number of chemical substances, including mercury lead, chromium, copper, and other carcinogenic components, which may lead to multiple negative impacts on health and the environment.

The rising global issues and the demand from the customer, lead the industry to go back to the ancient method of dyeing fabrics naturally with plants, foods, and minerals. Natural dye components are easy to find and produce zero waste to the Earth. Natural dyeing is less risky to the health of the customer and the dyers who might inhale the toxic substances when using synthetic dyes. It also helps preserve the environment as there are less poisonous runoff and residuals from the dyeing process that might end up in the ocean.

However, there are a few notable disadvantages of using natural dyes. Unlike the synthetic dyes that are cost-effective, using natural colors are the opposite in terms of cost – they are costly. It is because they are proven to require a lot of time, effort, and material when producing or extracting. The colors and hues created are variable since it is dependent on the plants, or components used. It is difficult to achieve uniformity.

Moreover, the colors developed also varies depending on the textiles used and the duration of dyeing. They also fade over time, especially when overexposed under the sunlight. Another unfortunate truth is that natural dyes provide limited colors; it is almost impossible to create neon pink or electric yellow without chemicals.

After collecting all the information found, I could conclude that despite all the disadvantages they have, they outweighed the overwhelmingly positive effects on our health and environment. Moreover, natural dyeing can also be a fun activity to do in our leisure time with the components found around the house. From my research, vegetables and food waste, like berries, red cabbage, tea&coffee waste, onion skins, etc., can be used to achieve these natural dyes. I will definitely challenge myself to create and dye my old fashion items and make it fresh and looking like new.

Here's my attempt on tie-dyeing with natural dyes

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Chhabra, E. (2015). Natural dyes v synthetic: which is more sustainable?. Retrieved 25 August 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainable-fashion-blog/2015/mar/31/natural-dyes-v-synthetic-which-is-more-sustainable

Campbell, U. (2019). The Importance of Natural Dyes. Retrieved 25 August 2020, from https://biofriendlyplanet.com/green-alternatives/natural/the-importance-of-natural-dyes/