DyeCoo collapses; wanted to make textile sector more sustainable

DyeCoo, based in Hoofddorp and known for its sustainable textile dyes, has gone out of business. The company received millions from IKEA and Nike, among others, but had been suffering losses for years. DyeCoo Textile Systems was founded in 2008 by researchers from Delft. They devised a way to dye polyester using CO₂ instead of water.

Polluting industry

The company wanted to make the textile sector more sustainable. This is sorely needed. The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world. Dyeing fabrics in particular causes a lot of pollution, because it requires a lot of water and chemicals.

Cause unknown

It seemed promising, but DyeCoo was declared bankrupt last week. Receiver Pieter Mijnssen has not yet responded, and no one at the company itself is available for comment. It is therefore not yet clear what exactly caused the bankruptcy.

CO₂ instead of water and chemicals

DyeCoo's dyeing machines used CO₂ instead of water and chemicals. This allows polyester fabrics and yarns to be dyed without consuming clean water and without leaving behind polluted wastewater. The CO₂ used comes from other industries and is reused. The system is almost completely closed: around 95% of the CO₂ is reused.