TEXTILES.ORG
Basque outdoor brand Ternua has announced the launch of a project which will see it collect nut shells to be used to make natural dyes for its products.
The initiative is supported by Spain’s Dept. of the Environment and by the regional government of the Gipuzkoa province, with the cooperation of the province’s National Cider Association, as well.
The company was inspired to use nut shells by the cider houses located nearby. During cider season it estimates that up to 55,000 kg of walnuts are consumed as they are part of a customary dessert in the region’s cider houses.
“The first thing we thought of were the nut shells in the cider houses, said the brand’s director of innovation Edu Uribesalgo. “We talked with the Natural Cider Association of Gipuzkoa and they agreed to collaborate. So, we got to work. We found a company in Tudela where the shells could be ground up and we got in touch with Archroma to see whether they could handle the chemical process of transforming the shells into natural dye.”
Textile chemical specialist Archroma already offers a range of dyes created from nonedible agricultural waste as part of its Earthcolors product collection.
Ternua claims it has already collected 300 kg of nut shells, which it says can be used to dye up to 10,000 garments. It will release a capsule collection of clothing that’s dyed using products created from these shells in time for the spring-summer 2019 season. The products will also feature post-consumer recycled cotton and recycled PET.
Ternua Group promotes adventure through respect for nature, producing sustainable, technical clothing for outdoor sports enthusiasts worldwide. It focuses on developing fabric using eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton and recycled down.