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Ralph Lauren develops the world’s first scalable zero wastewater cotton dyeing system

Ralph Lauren Corporation launched Color on Demand, a revolutionary dye platform that will change the way cotton is colored in the fashion industry – more sustainably, more effectively and faster than ever before. The company founded Color on Demand, a multi-phase system with the clear goal of delivering the world’s first scalable, wastewater-free dyeing system for cotton.

Every year trillions of liters of water are used to dye fabrics alone, which creates around 20% of the world’s wastewater. This untreated wastewater is incredibly polluting and traditionally requires rigorous, lengthy and costly treatment to make the water reusable.

Color on Demand is a new system that consists of a number of technologies that enable the recycling and reuse of all water from the dyeing process, enabling the world’s first scalable zero wastewater cotton dyeing without wastewater system.

In addition to significant water savings, Color on Demand significantly reduces the number of chemicals, dyes, time and energy used in cotton dyeing. In addition, for the first time in the industry, Color on Demand offers a more efficient and sustainable way of dyeing cotton at any point in the product manufacturing process than at the beginning. This enables significantly shorter lead times for product color decisions.

“Traditional dyeing is one of the most polluting practices in our industry. As a global brand, we recognized the need to create a scalable solution, ”said Halide Alagöz, Ralph Lauren’s chief product and sustainability officer.

“Color on Demand significantly reduces the environmental impact of dyeing cotton and, as an additional benefit, enables us to better balance stock levels and meet personalized customer requirements faster than ever before.”

To implement his pioneering approach, Ralph Lauren brought together four leading innovators in their respective fields, including Dow, a leader in materials science; Jeanologia, a leading provider of sustainable garment and fabric finishing solutions, with a high level of expertise in garment dyeing and closed loop water treatment systems; Huntsman Textile Effects, a global chemical company specializing in textile dyes and chemicals; and Corob, a global technology leader in dispensing and blending solutions, to redefine each stage of the dyeing process and join this shared mission to create a more sustainable and efficient system for dyeing cotton.

As part of the first phase of Color on Demand, Ralph Lauren optimized the use of ECOFAST Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment, a pre-treatment solution developed by Dow for cotton textiles.

When used with existing dyeing machines, ECOFAST Pure enables the use of up to 40% less water, 85% less chemicals, 90% less energy and a reduction of the carbon footprint by 60% compared to conventional dyeing processes for cotton. Ralph Lauren is integrating this process into its supply chain and will launch a product with this technology later this year.

“Water scarcity and pollution are important issues for the fashion industry. We are working to address these challenges through our partnership with Ralph Lauren,” said Sheila Bonini, senior vice president, private sector engagement at the World Wildlife Fund.

“Technology has the ability to accelerate change on an important scale. So it’s exciting to see Ralph Lauren establish innovative new models that can transform outdated practices and deliver measurable results for people and the planet. This is exactly the kind of leadership we expect from the fashion industry. “

Color on Demand is another important step in Ralph Lauren’s journey to addressing its environmental footprint. This includes eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals in its supply chain and reducing water use in its operations and value chain by 2025. By 2025, Ralph Lauren plans to use the Color on Demand platform in more than 80% of the company’s solid cotton products.