Exploring Sustainable Approaches to Coloration: A Review

For centuries, humans have relied on a variety of nature's palette in their search for color. It wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that synthetic dyes were commercially used which transformed the world of coloration. The commercial utilization of synthetic dyes is steadily increasing across various sectors, including textiles, leather, paper, printing ink, food, medical and health care, plastic, rubber, cosmetics, paint and coatings, and many others. The annual global production of synthetic dyes exceeds 1,000,000 tons, with the textile sector alone consuming 80% of this quantity. Toxicity, nonbiodegradability, persistence, and bioaccumulation are the factors that make synthetic dyes a major concern. Synthetic dyes can significantly affect the environment and human health at different stages of their life cycle, including during manufacturing, during application, during usage, and during disposal. Due to the extensive effects of synthetic dyes, there is a pressing need for safer practices. To achieve sustainable coloration, there are various pathways, including dye effluent treatment, regulatory oversight on synthetic dyes, adopting eco-friendly dyes, low-emission dyeing technologies, awareness and education, and collaborative approaches. These strategies can together contribute in reducing the overall ecological footprint of textile industry.