Tejidos Royo launches the first waterless yarn dyed indigo

London - Spanish textile manufacturer Tejidos Royo is set to reform the indigo dying process, as the producer unveils its new waterless indigo dying technology - Dry Indigo.

More than ten years in the making, the new process uses some of the most advanced industrial process techniques including foam dyeing. Unveiled at denim trade fair Kingpins Amsterdam earlier this week, Dry Indigo was developed together with the research and development team at Tejidos Royo, Gaston, and IMD.

"Until now whenever you dye something with indigo you need water," explained Jose Royo, Sales Director at Tejidos Royo to FashionUnited at Kingpins Amsterdam. "If I save 60 percent or 90 percent of water, I am still using water. So the denim industry is not very sustainable. But what we have created with this technology is a dyeing process that uses no water We use a foam that dyes the yarn."

"This change has such a magnitude, that is will change and refine the way we understand indigo dyeing until now." The entire machine used for waterless dyeing in only 20 meters long, which means it four times smaller than conventional indigo dyeing machines as well, making it ideal for factories. Royo strongly believes that this technology will pave the way for waterless washing machines.

"There will not be a need for large infrastructures anymore," he added. "From now on, indigo dye is not longer a 'water intensive' industry. Hard to believe but, in less than 20 meters, the yarn will be dyed, translating into flexibility for our customers, energy costs savings and water savings."

Tejidos Royo holds worldwide exclusivity for this new 100 percent sustainable indigo dye until October 2019.

Photos: Tejidos Royo and FashionUnited