Sustainable fashion startups are turning to algae-based dyes and inks to combat the use of fossil fuel-based dyes, Bloomberg reports. Algae is less water-intensive than materials typically used in garments and has the added benefit of sucking CO2 from the air, possibly making it a climate-positive material.

Algae-based materials are gaining traction in the region: Israeli startup Algaeing makes algae-based dyes and inks for the fashion industry and is developing algae-based yarn, according to their website. Algaeing’s solar powered vertical farms produce algae in just three weeks — compared to the c. 180 days it takes to grow cotton, Bloomberg reports. The company has raised USD 5 mn from investors to-date and is looking to raise an additional USD 15 mn early next year, the business information service adds.

Fashion produces 10% of the planet’s CO2 emissions: The environmental footprint of fast fashion is not just a product of how the clothes are made or how the quickly discarded clothes fill up landfills. Polyester is made from fossil fuels, and some dyes are derived from crude oil. Manufacturers are increasingly responding to pressure from changing consumer habits and ESG investing to reduce their environmental footprint. In 2019, Swedish fast fashion giant H&M jumped on the bandwagon, announcing their target of sourcing 100% of their products from recycled or sustainably sourced materials by the end of the decade.

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