IRIS: A Prism for Safe and Sustainable Colouration of Cellulosics

IRIS transforms cellulosic textile colouration by replacing hazardous dyeing and printing with Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) biobased alternatives and circular end-of-life routes. Using a Multi-Actor Approach, an industry-oriented consortium co-creates solutions compatible with existing lines, accelerating deployment while minimising CAPEX. IRIS directly addresses JU-CBE-2025-IA-02 by targeting the highest-impact stages of textile wet processing, substituting substances of concern (e.g., aniline, potentially skin-sensitising reactive azo dyes, PVC plastisols) and scaling to TRL 6–7: (i) biobased indigo; (ii) microbial colourants from CO2; (iii) SSbD encapsulation to stabilise heat/light-sensitive bio-pigments; (iv) reductant-free enzymatic denim dyeing; (v) Lyocell dope-dyeing that replaces chemically intensive wet dyeing; and (vi) PVC-free biobased screen-printing with on-demand de-printing. All routes are drop-in or light-retrofit and will be validated against relevant standards and OEKO-TEX® requirements. Circular protocols (colour-stripping, removable prints, fibre-to-fibre recycling) complete the value chain. All innovations underwent ex-ante life cycle assessment during proposal development and will the upscaling process will be fully SSbD-assessed during the project. Expected outcomes include substantial reductions in water, energy and Global Warming Potential (GWP) per kg of coloured fabric, elimination/substitution of hazardous inputs, cleaner effluents, and >80% recyclability for selected flows. IRIS delivers brand- and recycler-ready acceptance TRL 6-7 innovations, business cases and policy briefs to enable rapid uptake, contributing to the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, Zero Pollution, and the Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles by proving market-ready, evidence-based biobased colouration that improves worker and consumer safety while unlocking circular, low-carbon growth.