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Harvesting Colour: Transforming Food Waste into Vibrant Dyes

Writer's picture: ella henryella henry

Inspired by the ethos of circular design and a commitment to reducing waste, I have explored the process of transforming food scraps into vibrant dyes, a process rooted in regenerative textiles.



From my research into indigenous textiles, and their commitment and connection to their local ecosystems, I thought it was important to see how this could work in my local ecosystems. Along with this, I have been researching circular design systems, which I think echoes indigenous beliefs. Circular design aims to create regenerative textiles, and the work should be able to be rescued, recycled or eventually should be able to biodegrade at the end of life. Natural dyeing works really well with this system, as firstly natural dyes can only be used with natural fabrics. This forces the maker to work with fabrics that are quality, long lasting and can be reworked or even biodegrade like cotton, linen, hemp and silk. Additionally the waste products, including the water, of natural dyeing can be disposed of in normal waste disposal and not cause harm- in fact the waste water is safe to be used to water plants in your garden.




One of my favourite natural dyes is onion skins, they're incredibly strong in colour but they are also resistant to washing and dyeing the fabric very easily. You can get a lot of pigment out of a very small amount of dyestuff, which makes it a useful dyestuff to work with. Furthermore, they are a natural waste product in the UK and can accumulate quite easily. I love cooking so I have lots of onion skins left over. I keep them in a glass jar and nowadays even my friends bring me a bag of their old onion skins when they see me! I think it's exciting for them to see what I make with them and for such humble and everyday food like onions, the fact that they can create a beautiful day is quite remarkable. 




I have also been able to experiment with avocado skins and pits (pink/ brown), pomegranate skins (lime green, hibiscus (pink/ purple), red cabbage (purple) rosemary (green) and coffee (brown/ beige). I think it's wonderfully exciting to create beautiful colour out of a waste product and I plan to continue to prioritise natural dyes that can be obtained sustainably and ethically in the hope to contribute to my local regenerative textiles community. 



Refernces:

Akç, E. P.; Akcakoca Kumbasar, Emriye Perrin (Editor). (2011). Natural Dyes. IntechOpen. Aldersey-Williams, J. (2024). Personal communication [Interview conducted via Microsoft Teams]. Conducted on 19th March 2024. Bautista Lazo, D. (n.d.). “Natural Dyes of Oaxaca.” Retrieved from

Booth, A. (2019). The Wild Dyer: A Maker's Guide to Natural Dyes with Projects to Create and

Stitch. Princeton Architectural Press.

Circular Design Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://circulardesigninstitute.ie/.

Kusumastuti, R., et al. (2022). Preservation of Cultural and Environmental Sustainability Through Natural Dyeing Techniques: A Case Study in Indonesia. Journal of Sustainable Fashion, 8(2), 123-136.

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