Colour platform technology company, Sparxell, has released what it claims is the word’s first commercially available nature-inspired textile ink. The product was launched in partnership with textile company Positive Materials.
The ink is derived from dye-free pigments, and is a plant-based, biodegradable colouring solution that is bioinspired, eliminating toxic dyes, synthetic plastics, and mined metals and minerals. This marks a pivotal moment in making sustainable colour technology accessible to fashion brands worldwide, stated Sparxell.
The Cambridge-based company said the launch addresses growing industry demand for sustainable alternatives as the global textile industry currently uses over 10,000 different chemicals in the colouration processes, releasing 1.5 million tonnes of toxic dyes into the environment annually, and contributing up to 2% of global GHG emissions. Sparxell’s plant-based solution reduces energy need and water consumption whilst eliminating harmful chemical pollution.
Launching in Sparxell’s signature blue, the ink is available in matte and shimmer finishes. This, said Sparxell, enables brands to integrate the technology through standard orders rather than bespoke projects. The initial blue colour launch represents the first of multiple colours planned for release throughout 2025, the company added.
Sparxell said its textile ink harnesses the same structural colour principles found in nature such as in Morpho butterfly wings, engineering plant-based cellulose at the microscale to create vibrant colours through light manipulation rather than chemical formulas.
Dr Benjamin Droguet, founder and CEO of Sparxell, said: “This textile ink launch transforms how brands can access our breakthrough technology. For too long, the textile industry had no choice other than to accept that vibrant colours meant environmental damage. Sparxell’s bio-inspired technology shatters that assumption, delivering exceptional results from plant-based cellulose.”
Elsa Parente, Co-CEO and CTO of Positive Materials, said with the new ink, fashion designers and procurement teams can now order sustainable colourant options as easily as conventional alternatives. The benefit, she added, is that the ink contains 100% biodegradable pigments that are free from toxic chemicals.
