ECO-INDIGO*
Replicating nature’s palette synthetically in textiles often comes with a significant environmental cost. It is essential to evolve in order to preserve the Earth’s miraculous wonders for future generations.
Currently, 99% of all colors rely on fossil resources. The textile manufacturing industry, one of the largest consumers of color, uses 2 million tons of dyes annually. Citizens of Humanity Group is pleased to integrate Eco-Indigo into its production processes. Eco-Indigo is an innovative bio indigo dye created by Pili, a French biochemicals company.
Pili’s mission is to produce sustainable dyes and pigments that reduce the environmental footprint of the color industry. Utilizing hybrid processes that combine industrial fermentation with green chemistry, Pili generates high-performance color ranges and targets some of the most polluting applications, including textiles, inks, polymers, and paints & coatings.
Coloring a more sustainable future
EXPLORE PILI’S MISSION
THE MISSION: Decarbonizing the color industry. Pili technology enables the production of bio based dyes and pigments on an industrial scale, significantly reducing CO₂ emissions compared to colors derived from fossil raw materials.
HOW: To shift away from petroleum-based raw materials and eliminate the use of harmful chemicals, Pili has developed an innovative hybrid process that combines industrial fermentation with sustainable chemistry. This process involves industrial fermentation, similar to brewing beer, combined with green chemistry principles to create high-performance colors from renewable resources.
THE SCIENCE: Pili integrates biology with chemistry through its innovative hybrid processes. The approach uses biomass—renewable, traceable non-food raw materials such as molasses and starch-based sugars derived from agricultural by-products. This fraction of the plant, separated from the edible part, is utilized to manufacture products without tapping into food or fossil resources.
Selected microorganisms are fed with this biomass during fermentation to produce bio based aromatic intermediates. These fermentation processes, widely used in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food, offer high reproducibility to meet diverse needs.
Following fermentation, filtration is employed to separate and extract the aromatic intermediates from the fermentation medium, ensuring a high-purity product that adheres to chemical industry standards. These intermediates are then used to produce various dyes and pigments, applying green chemistry principles such as low temperatures, water as a solvent, and catalytic methods to minimize waste.
THE OUTCOME: Pili’s bio based dyes and pigments provide a solution to critical challenges, offering clothing brands a way to reduce reliance on fossil-based materials and meet increasing consumer demands for circularity, sustainability, and traceability in their products.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL, ECO-INDIGO, AND BOTANICAL DYES?
CONVENTIONAL DYES:
Conventional dye production relies on fossil raw materials, which are non-renewable resources.
Petrochemical processes, while highly efficient, are energy-intensive and polluting, releasing significant
quantities of CO₂ into the atmosphere. Conventional indigo production involves the use of aniline, a known
human carcinogen, along with other toxic chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide. This poses significant
risks to workers and aquatic life due to residual chemicals in the dyeing and washing processes.
ECO-INDIGO DYE:
Eco-Indigo is primarily composed of natural materials, with approximately 90% of it's composition derived
from renewable sources. This makes Eco-Indigo a more sustainable and eco-friendlier alternative to
conventional materials derived from fossil fuels. Eco-Indigo is made from:
— Sugar
— Ethanol
— Oxygen
— Hydrogen
BOTANICAL DYES:
Botanical dyes, derived from plants, offer several advantages, including being eco-friendly, biodegradable,
and often hypoallergenic. However, they are not a complete replacement for conventional synthetic dyes
due to several limitations:
— Limited color range
— Color bleeding/fading
— Inconsistent results
— Higher cost
— Use of land and water for growing plants
HOW IS ECO-INDIGO DEVELOPED?
Pili’s product developments are guided by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), ensuring that they reduce
waste, energy use, and harmful chemicals. Life Cycle Assessment is a methodology that evaluates the
environmental impact of a product from its production through to its usage.
Here’s how the process works:
Pili starts by genetically modifying bacteria to produce the desired pigments. These bacteria are
cultivated in large tanks with carbon feedstocks, such as sugar, where they generate textile dyes. The
fermentation process requires no fossil fuels and avoids toxic inputs, resulting in no harmful byproducts
and high efficiency. After fermentation, the dye is separated from the bacteria through a straightforward
filtration process.
The large-scale fermentation techniques used are similar to those employed in the biopharmaceutical
industry for producing insulin and other valuable medications. This process design allows Pili’s technology
to be scaled up for high production, reducing costs while maintaining quality.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ECO-INDIGO?
Eco-Indigo revolutionizes dye production by providing a low-carbon, direct replacement for petrochemical-based indigo, maintaining performance and scalability without compromise.
LOWER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
— Using Less Energy: Requires less energy input compared to traditional methods used in conventional
dye production.
— Lower CO₂ Emissions: Pili’s innovative manufacturing processes help reduce CO₂ emissions,
contributing to a cleaner environment.
— Reduced Reliance on Fossil Resources: Unlike regular synthetic dyes that depend heavily on fossil
resources, Pili dyes utilize bacteria and sugar instead of petroleum, offering a more sustainable approach.
— Less Chemical Waste: Pili dyes feature a cleaner manufacturing process that minimizes the reliance on
harmful chemicals, resulting in fewer toxic byproducts.
EFFICIENCY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE BIOBASED COLORANT.
— High Purity: Greater than 90%.
— Dyeing Performance: Equivalent to synthetic indigo in terms of shade and fastness.
— Sustainable Production: Industrial production ensures consistent quality.
SCALABLE TECHNOLOGY.
— Commercial Availability: Available in powder form, with a 30% pre-reduced form available upon request.
— Application Without Additional Investment: Can be integrated without the need for extra investment.
— REACH-Registered Product: Complies with REACH regulations.
