Aalto process targets reactive dye removal

HELSINKI — Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a two-step treatment that they say removed 99% of reactive dye from coloured cotton fabrics, addressing a barrier to recycling textile waste.

The peer-reviewed study, published in Industrial Crops and Products, tested green, grey, black and navy cotton fabrics. Reactive dyes form covalent bonds with cellulose, making them particularly difficult to remove.