Archroma Wins 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for FiberColors® Sulfur Dye Breakthrough

FiberColors® uses pre-consumer wool waste as a feedstock for biosynthetic dyes, supporting circularity in textile coloration

Archroma has received the 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation from a Large Company for FiberColors®, a range of high-performance sulfur dyes made using pre-consumer wool waste. The technology replaces part of the conventional petroleum-derived feedstock with unwanted wool, creating an alternative raw material pathway while upcycling wool that would otherwise require disposal.

Wool Waste Used as Dye Feedstock

FiberColors® extends Archroma’s patented EarthColors® method of replacing conventional feedstocks with bio-based materials. While EarthColors® uses plant residue, FiberColors® applies the approach to coarse, non-commercial wool.

The process uses a minimum of 50% wool waste as a primary feedstock instead of conventional petroleum-derived raw materials. According to Archroma, the resulting biosynthetic dyes provide the same dyeing and fastness performance as regular sulfur dyes, without negatively affecting water consumption, energy consumption or waste generation during dye manufacturing.

“Archroma has led the evolution of sulfur dyeing for over a century by advancing what’s technically possible and proving it can pay for itself. FiberColors ® is that approach in practice – using an agricultural waste output with high disposal costs to replace a petroleum-based input and produce a dye that performs at scale for mills and brands. We’re honored it has been recognized by ICIS,” said Julio Perales, Technical & Product Segment Manager Denim, Archroma.

Applications Across Textile Processes

FiberColors® dyes can be used across several textile coloration processes, including exhaust dyeing, continuous dyeing, denim coloration and textile printing.

The dyes are applicable to cellulosic fibers including cotton, viscose, linen, bamboo and kapok, as well as wool. The product range includes warm shades designed for collections covering products such as jeans, chinos, T-shirts, hoodies and home textiles.

The FiberColors® products meet bluesign® criteria, are GOTS approved, and are listed on the ZDHC Gateway with Conformance Level 3.

Orta Anadolu Introduces FiberColors® Collection

Türkiye-based premium denim manufacturer Orta Anadolu introduced its first FiberColors® collection in April 2026. The ORTA brand, known for its focus on aesthetics and responsible production, is using the dyes as part of an approach to addressing wool waste generated by sheep farming.

Wool that is not commercially valuable presents a disposal challenge for sheep farmers in various regions, with farmers often required to pay for its disposal. In Europe, three-quarters of the region’s 200 million kg annual wool production is wasted.

FiberColors® uses this unwanted wool as an industrial feedstock. Archroma can produce 10 kg of liquid FiberColors® from 1 kg of wool waste, diverting the material from disposal while providing mills and brands with a scalable and traceable raw-material pathway.

Building on Archroma’s Sulfur Dye Innovation

FiberColors® is part of Archroma’s 40-year commitment to eco-friendly sulfur dye innovation at its Castellbisbal plant in Spain.

The R&D team responsible for FiberColors® also developed EarthColors®, which was introduced in 2017. EarthColors® has since been adopted by more than 50 global brands, including Ralph Lauren, Kathmandu, G-Star RAW, Esprit and Ugg, and has upcycled more than 60 tons of plant residue from the herbal and food industries.

The ICIS Innovation Awards recognize innovations that demonstrate impact and advance sustainability across the chemicals and energy sectors.