With the aim of researching new solutions to mitigate the problem of contamination from dyeing and finishing processes in the textile industry, NaturalFun has enabled AITEX to demonstrate the industrial viability of new sustainable solutions for the clothing, home textiles and leather sectors.

Specifically, alternative solutions have been studied to minimise the environmental impact of dyeing and finishing processes using natural dyes and auxiliaries formulated at low temperatures and applied using micro-nebulisation technology.

The main technical challenges of the project have been the use of natural dyes extracted from leaves, roots, dye plants and insects, to dye cotton, linen, wool and silk, firstly in the laboratory and then on an industrial scale. The project has also researched the use of a new dyeing technology using nebulisation to reduce the consumption of water and chemical compared to traditional methods. The approaches and technologies studied throughout the project have attained reductions of 50% in the carbon footprint of the production process, compared to the methods currently used in the sector.

This project is supported by the Conselleria d’Economia Sostenible, Sectors Productius, Comerç i Treball de la Generalitat Valenciana, through IVACE, and is co-financed by the EU ERDF funds, within the Operational Programme ERDF of the Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020. (File: IMDEEA/2020/6)