Sustainable Apparel - Chapter 5: Sustainable Dyeing Technologies

This chapter explores the sustainability issues in preparing and dyeing apparel fabrics. A background summary of dyeing chemistry and fiber–dyestuff classes is followed by a review of the impact of dyeing practice and process and machinery technology on sustainability. This section focuses on coloring cotton fabrics with reactive dyes, a combination that represents the largest volume of all apparel dyeing and contributes most to environmental loads. Effluent treatment to remove color and inorganic salts is then reviewed. The chapter concludes with a presentation of the future trends and technology developments that will have an impact on sustainability.