The dyeing industry is notorious for its detrimental impact on both health and the environment. Labelled as the tenth most polluting sector globally, it consumes vast amounts of water, energy, and chemicals. Alarmingly, 20–75 per cent of dyes are discharged as waste effluent, exacerbating environmental degradation. Despite its negative impacts, the global fashion industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, driven by trends such as fast fashion, consumerism, and e-commerce. This expansion has made synthetic dyeing a central part of the industry, with India emerging as a global leader.

Growing Demand for Sustainable Practices

As awareness of environmental issues grows, many consumers are rethinking their purchasing behaviours and demanding more sustainable practices from businesses. In response, an increasing number of companies are adopting eco-friendly dyes, which are becoming a key focus for sustainability in the textile sector. This shift has given rise to eco-labels — certifications used to market and communicate sustainability efforts to consumers.

Eco-labels are critical tools that empower consumers to make informed decisions and support companies committed to environmental sustainability. These labels not only stimulate market-driven action but also foster the adoption of eco-friendly practices by manufacturers. Furthermore, eco-certification schemes such as Germany’s Green Spot, the US Green Seal, and Europe’s Digital Product Passport are helping stakeholders make well-informed purchasing decisions by improving transparency about the environmental impacts of products.

Globally, there are around 456 eco-labels across 199 countries, encompassing diverse categories, including products, services, and processes. In India, the government has introduced initiatives like ‘Ecomark,’ which ensures that eco-friendly products meet specific standards for safety, quality, and performance.

Tackling Greenwashing and Promoting Trust

To prevent greenwashing, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has issued guidelines for advertisements making environmental claims, ensuring that businesses’ sustainability efforts are truthful, transparent, and verifiable. These measures play an essential role in maintaining consumer trust.

Despite significant progress, some sustainable products, such as natural colourants, extracts, and biorefinery products, remain excluded from eco-label guidelines. Microbial dyes, however, are leading the transition towards eco-friendly textiles. These dyes are celebrated for their potential to replace harmful synthetic dyes and are already making headlines for their role in ushering in a new era of sustainable dyeing. Nevertheless, the production, use, and disposal of these dyes remain unregulated globally, underscoring the need for standardized practices to ensure their sustainability.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has been at the forefront of promoting sustainability through the development of microbial dyes. TERI’s approach follows internationally recognized textile standards like ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), OEKO-TEX (International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology), and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). Their microbial dyes exclude toxic chemicals, steam releases, biocides, and toxic effluents during production.

Furthermore, these microbial dyes possess intrinsic antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, reducing reliance on synthetic antimicrobial finishes. They offer good colour fastness and are free from toxicity, making them a safer alternative for both workers and consumers.

Developing Eco-Label Criteria for Microbial Dyes

Building on existing models, TERI aims to create eco-label criteria specifically for microbial dyes. These criteria will focus on using sustainable raw materials, minimizing resource consumption, ensuring biodegradability, supporting fair trade and ethical labour standards, and maintaining transparency through established certifications. TERI’s approach seeks to encourage market incentives from governmental authorities, foster innovation and collaboration between industry and research, and bolster consumer trust through credible certifications.

Potential of Eco-Labels in Advancing Sustainable Development

 Eco-labels play a pivotal role in connecting diverse stakeholders — researchers, businesses, and consumers — in the shared mission of environmental stewardship and climate resilience. By aligning with various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), eco-labels drive sustainability, transparency, and accountability in the textile industry.

These labels empower communities dependent on the dyeing industry by promoting the shift from harmful synthetic dyes to sustainable alternatives, thus transforming both industry practices and consumer behaviour. #

Mehak Kaur is a Research Scholar andDr Mayurika Goel is a Fellow with Sustainable Agriculture Division, TERI-Gram.