Pangaia turns waste into dye for a colorful loungewear collection

Pangaia’s trash is also its treasure. The material science brand has launched its Re-color collection, a capsule of apparel that reimagines traditional dying practices. Using a patented technology called Recycrom, Pangaia has turned its textile waste into a variety of dye powders applied to a range of bright loungewear.

Typical dyes made from chemicals have the potential to leak out into and pollute the water supply. Recycrom technology comes from Italian textile chemical company Officina+39 and creates a fine powder out of recycled textile fibers, which are then used as a pigment dye. The pulverized powders work on any natural fiber, nylons, and other artificial blends. They can also be filtered out of the water, which reduces their overall environmental footprint.

Do or dye — The collection itself is relatively simple. Pangaia’s expertise in basics continues with the collection’s hoodies, T-shirts, shorts, and sweatpants. Each piece also comes with the message, “This [garment] is colored using a technology that recycles our textile waste into new colors.”

The entire collection uses 100-percent organic cotton grown using 95 percent rain-fed water. An irrigation system protects non-renewable groundwater and surface water resources, according to the brand’s website. Pangaia also uses its Pprmint treatment, peppermint oil with an antimicrobial effect, to keep clothes fresher for longer. Each garment is offered in Aloe Green, Sky Blue, Apricot, Coral Pink, or Banana.

More and more brands are starting to get creative with their circularity efforts. Although not all are particularly successful, more research is being done on how to incorporate natural materials into traditionally unsustainable products.

You can shop the powdery capsule on Pangaia’s website now, with prices ranging from $75 for T-shirts to $175 for hoodies. It’s not flashy, but being sustainable doesn’t have to be.