The process of garment dyeing dates back as far as the Neolithic era—it seems that the desire to wear colors that reflect our mood and personality is just part of being human. The first dyes were gleaned from plants like onion, saffron, and indigo. But as the apparel industry has industrialized, fabric dying has transformed into an unnatural (and often toxic) proposition.
Fast fashion dye is polluting our earth, wasting precious water, harming animals, and posing health risks to humans, too. Here’s what you need to watch out for when buying colorful clothes—and why BRANWYN only uses uses only OEKO-TEX-, OEKO-TEX STeP-, and ZDHC-certified dyeing process that are gentle on our earth, friendly to our natural habitat, and safe for the wearer.
Problem: Fast-fashion dye is polluting our earth.
Here’s a depressing fact: The fashion industry is responsible for up to 20 percent of all industrial water pollution. In a number of countries where regulation is weak, wastewater from dye factories ends up being dumped directly in rivers, oceans, lakes, and streams. The toxic dyes and finishing agents (chemicals used to prevent colors from running and staying static-free) pollute essential drinking sources used by humans and often kill plants and animals who call these underwater areas home.
Our Solution: No dumping and strict sustainability standards.
BRANWYN produces 100 percent of our Performance Innerwear at a sustainably-focused factory in Istanbul. Turkey has very strict regulations on international sustainability standards—no dumping allowed. Our facility goes above and beyond to ensure all dyes and their manufacturers are inspected and certified by OEKO-TEX (prevents against harmful substances in the garment),OEKO-TEX STep (evaluates the entire production facility for environmental performance), and ZDHC (committed to advancing towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals).
Problem: Toxic dyes can make us sick.
Toxic dyes sometimes used in fast fashion are often terrible for living organisms. That includes plant life, sea life, and humans, too. Humans can be affected by runoff when polluted water mixes with irrigated crops. Wastewater from the dyeing process is also periodically tested to ensure compliance with both governmental and industry regulations in the country where the dyehouse is located. One recent study found that textile dyes were present in vegetables and fruit grown in a region of Bangladesh known for textile production. It can also get into our system when we wear clothes. This may be even more true for workout clothes. (Read more on the similar dangers of BPA here).
Toxins may be especially bad for women. Certain chemicals used in dye and finishing, including alkylphenols and octylphenol ethoxylate, have been linked to hormone disruption affecting the female reproductive system. Women exposed to these chemicals have a higher risk of diseases like breast cancer. Scary stuff that we would never want on any body.
Our Solution: Safe dyes instead of chemicals.
Our craft manufacturing approach is all about slowing down and making garments in a sustainable way. This means that not every piece of BRANWYN will be exactly the same shade or fit—just like no two sheep will have exactly the same wool! But we can ensure that there’s nothing dangerous touching your body or impacting the earth.
We never use these super-scary, but common chemicals:
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Alkylphenols: Disrupt the body's hormone system
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Nonylphenols: Highly toxic to aquatic life
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Octyl Phenol: Poses danger to aquatic live and the female reproductive system
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Alkylphenol Ethoxylate: Extremely toxic to aquatic organisms
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Nonylphenol Ethoxylate: Harmful to biodiversity
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Octylphenol Ethoxylate: Poses danger to hormone systems, including female reproduction
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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Associated with increased risk of skin, lung, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers
In fact, we go further and third-party test all of our garments to make 100-percent sure they are free of BPA, PFAS, and phthalates.
Do you think about dyes when you shop? We want to know! In fact, we love hearing from you about anything at all. Please email us at info@branwyn.com or DM us on Instagram at @branwynofficial.
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1. https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/06/10/why-fashion-needs-to-be-more-sustainable/
2. https://www.bcpp.org/resource/alkylphenols/#:~:text=Alkylphenols
3. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/risk/docs/guidance/gw/octylphenolinfo.pdf
4. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
