Inside Outdoor Summer 2017

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T he gaps between manufacturing reali-
ties and environmental pronounce-
ments have proactive outdoor compa-
nies looking for answers. Among the
host of manufacturing challenges confronting
these companies, the upstream problems
related to the dye process continue to raise
environmental concerns.
Dyeing textiles is very energy and water
intensive, and the nature of dyes makes them
stubbornly persistent and often toxic once
released into the environment. The outdoor
industry’s reliance on polyester (PE), in par-
ticular, adds volume to the already massive
use of the most commonly manufactured textile
worldwide. In 2014, demand for polyester was
approximately 55.2 million tons (122 billion
pounds), in contrast to protein-based fibers
such as cotton and wool at 25.4 million tons.
PCI Wood Mackenzie, a Scottish consulting
group, projects demand for PE in 2030 to be
around 70 million tons. The same timeframe
sees growth in the second most processed fi-
ber, cotton, at just more than 30 million tons.
Two techniques are making waterless
polyester dyeing a reality
By Ernest Shiwanov
Dyes Trying
s expo booth shows
colors.
Inside Outdoor | SUMMER 2017 32