Swedish textile innovation brand, Coloreel, had its sustainability operations quantified and third-party verified in order to provide evidence that its thread colouring and dyeing process reduces water consumption by 97%t.

Coloreel claims that by using a single white thread to produce millions of colors and intricate patterns, it opens up new creative possibilities and benefits the environment. Water usage is reduced by at least 97% when dying a 100% recycled polyester thread in real time as opposed to conventional dyeing techniques. The method also considerably lowers thread waste.

Mattias Nordin, Sustainability Manager at Coloreel, said that when Coloreel launched its ground-breaking technology for digital thread dyeing, the aim was to streamline an embroidery industry characterized by slow processes, difficulty creating complex designs, and an excessive use of resources.

Both a comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA) and an environmental product declaration (EPD) have now been made public by the corporation in the global database Environdec. The Swedish consulting firm Miljögiraff, a third party, has independently authenticated both documents.

Through the documentation, a comparison between Coloreel's technique and that of one of the top thread producers in the world may be made. Their openly available sustainability study demonstrates that direct dyeing by Coloreel generates 50 times less effluent than conventional thread dyeing.

Nordin added that they have long understood that their technique provides a major environmental advantage. Naturally, having it confirmed by a neutral third party is crucial for their ongoing work. But that's not good enough for them. The usage of energy and ink during production is currently their primary concern.