These days a lot of textiles are made of synthetic fibres and are also dyed with chemicals. This particular way of producing causes a lot of damage to our environment and to this day we still don’t know what the long term consequences are. In the context of Color Lab we were taught about sustainable dying with fruit and vegetable peels. These are considered a waste stream within our households so this is a means to repurpose those.
While doing my research I stumbled upon a material made from kombucha scobies, not knowing anything about kombucha, I reached out to Yugen kombucha who turned out to be a valuable partner.
A scoby is the commonly used acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast,” and is formed after the completion of a unique fermentation process. This is a waste product of the kombucha industry. It is a layer which grows on top of the kombucha. It starts out as a small fleece which over time thickens. In its most common form, SCOBY is a gelatinous, cellulose-based biofilm or microbial mat found floating at the container’s air-liquid interface.
USED DYES | Yellow: Tumeric | Undyed | Burgundy: Cranberry | Blue: Red Cabbage | Orange: Yellow Onion | Pink: Raspberry |
Purple: Blueberry and Plum | Green: Red Onion | Brown: Beets | Semi Blue: Indigo
Purple: Blueberry and Plum | Green: Red Onion | Brown: Beets | Semi Blue: Indigo
