Eco Friendly Dyeing: 10 Tips to Make Your Natural Dyeing More Sustainable

Do you love to dye fabrics but want to stay earth friendly? See our tips and tricks for making your plant dyeing process more sustainable and green

Welcome back to the colorful practice of natural dyeing, where we use the beauty of nature to bring our fabrics to life.

As you probably already know, ‘natural dyeing’ involves using pigments made from natural resources like plants, minerals and sometimes insects while avoiding synthetic chemicals.

That all sounds pretty benign, doesn’t it? However, it is a common misconception that all aspects of natural dyeing are eco-friendly.

When I first started experimenting with natural dyes years ago, I thought since it is called ‘Natural’, it must also be good for the environment, right?

Well, the actual truth is, some traditional methods aren’t as green as they seem. For example, in order to obtain certain colors, heavy metal mordants such as tin are required to ‘set’ the dyes and keep them from fading or washing out.

Plus, the sustainability of certain dye sources can be questionable if they are overharvested or not locally sourced.

But don’t you worry! Here I have gathered some tips and tricks that you can use right at home to make your dyeing process more eco friendly and sustainable.

Our top tips for (more) sustainable dyeing:

1. Reuse and Recycle Water: 
   
   • Be mindful of your water usage. Natural dyeing (as well as dyeing with synthetics) uses A LOT OF WATER!
     
     • Reuse water from rinsing dye materials (if possible). 
       
     • Collect rainwater which has a neutral pH in its natural form. If you live near a city or other potential pollutants you may want to test your rainwater before using.

2. Choose Non-Toxic Mordants: 
   
   • Opt for eco-friendly mordants. Alum (Potassium Aluminum Sulfate), for example, is a safer choice compared to heavy metal-based mordants. Keep in mind that aluminum is still a metal and should be handled appropriately with gloves and a mask.
     
     You can also explore other natural mordants like soy milk or tannins from certain plants. Some mordants to use:
     • Alum
     • Soy Milk
     • Tannins (Oak Galls, Sumac)

3. Dye with plants that don’t require a mordant: 
   
   • While most plants do need some sort of mordant or binder, there actually are a few materials you can use that do not need a mordant at all.
     
     These plants have an abundance of naturally occurring tannins which bind the pigments to the fibers.

4. Upcycle, Recycle and Re-Dye Old Fabrics:
   
   • You can easily give new life to your old or stained garments by over-dyeing them. This practice not only saves clothes from landfills but also reduces the need for new textiles.
   • Source second hand fabrics for dyeing. I just picked up a bunch of white, 100% Cotton pillowcases for 99 cents each!

5. Harvest and Use Local Plants:
   
   • Forage for dye plants in your area or grow your own. Using local plants not only reduces transportation carbon footprint but also connects you to your natural environment.
     
     Wildflowers, weeds, and even kitchen scraps like onion skins and avocado pits can be great sources of natural dyes.
     
     Note: be mindful to not collect all of any one dye source. A general rule of thumb is to take no more than half, leaving the other half to naturally reproduce.

6. Minimize Use of Synthetic Chemicals:
   
   • Avoid synthetic additives and chemicals. Stick to natural modifiers like vinegar, lemon juice, or iron water (rusty nails soaked in water) to alter dye colors or pH levels.

7. Try Solar Dyeing:
   • Utilize the power of the sun for dyeing. If you are in the warm season right now, solar dyeing may be a good option for setting your plant dyes.
     
     Solar Dyeing involves placing dyestuffs and fabric in a jar of water and letting it sit in the sun for several weeks. It’s a slow process but requires no additional energy usage.

8. Batch Dyeing:
   • Plan your dyeing sessions so that you can dye multiple items at once. For instance, you can mordant a bunch of different fabrics all together in one large pot or tub.
     
     This approach reduces the overall amount of water, energy and dye material usage per item.

9. Practice Mindful Consumption:
   
   • Be conscious of the materials you choose to dye. Opt for natural fibers like cotton, wool, silk, or linen, preferably from ethical sources. The more sustainable the entire lifecycle of the product, the better.

10. Compost Leftover Dye Materials:
    
    • After extracting the color from your plants, simply throw the rest on the compost pile. This can be done with any natural material that has not been exposed to heavy metal mordants or other chemicals.

And there you have it! A handful of practical tips to make your natural dyeing adventures as eco friendly as they are colorful. Remember, every small step you take towards sustainability makes a difference.

Whether you are tweaking your mordanting methods, choosing local dye sources or reusing water, you are contributing to a greener, more sustainable craft.

Happy dyeing and have fun!

“Sustainable plant based dyes can be grown regeneratively and they can have valuable by-products such as biofuel.”

Sustainable Jungle.com

What is natural dyeing?

So, let’s talk about what natural dyeing really is. It’s a process of coloring fabrics using the pigments derived from natural sources. These sources include plants, minerals and even some insects—without synthetic chemicals.

Eco Friendly Dyeing: 10 Tips to Make Your Natural Dyeing More Sustainable