Paul McCartney famously said, “There must be a better way to make the things we want, a way that doesn’t spoil the sky or the rain or the land.” We couldn’t agree more and that is why we are moving to a sustainable waterless dyeing process
ChicoBag started with a mission to reduce single-use plastic. Through innovations like our bespoke recycled material rePETe , our Climate Neutral Certification , and our partnership with 1% for the Planet , we’ve made great leaps in making our planet a #littlebitbetter .
Every day, we look for new ways to align our processes, evolve, and grow in tandem with improvements in sustainable manufacturing technology. This year, we’re excited to launch a new dyeing process to make ChicoBag products even more planet-friendly!
ChicoBag started with a mission to reduce single-use plastic. Through innovations like our bespoke recycled material rePETe, our Climate Neutral Certification, and our partnership with 1% for the Planet, we've made great leaps in making our planet a #littlebitbetter.
Every day, we look for new ways to align our processes, evolve, and grow in tandem with improvements in sustainable manufacturing technology. This year, we're excited to launch a new dyeing process to make ChicoBag products even more planet-friendly!
Introducing Refine™We're thrilled to launch our Refine™ line this month, products created with a revolutionary minimal-water alternative to traditional dyeing methods. This process delivers vibrant colors without wasting precious resources. With Refine, we're proud to offer a low-impact solution to evolve the textile industry, which has historically contributed to pollution and waste. Whether you're a conscious consumer or a brand looking to improve your eco-footprint, Refine is a game-changing solution making conscious consumerism easier than ever. |
|
The Problem with DyesDyes are responsible for making our world a more vibrant place. However conventional dyeing processes often involve the use of toxic chemicals, large amounts of water, and energy-intensive procedures. These practices across industries add up. They contribute to water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and depletion of natural resources. |
|
The Impact of Refine™ChicoBag’s new Refine dyeing process will be used in our core textiles, including our recycled rePETe fabric (made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles), webbing, straps, and buckles. This innovative process involves shredding and melting 100% post-consumer PET water bottles to create recycled polyester yarns and fabrics. Sustainable dyeing technologies, such as waterless/air dyeing and salt-free dyeing, are integral to our approach, ensuring minimal environmental impact. The big change? Unlike “wet processing,” solution dyeing adds dry pigment to the melted plastic before spinning it into thread or yarn. The pigments become trapped in the molten upcycled plastic, which means there’s no need to dye the fabric separately after it’s formed. This efficient method streamlines the production process and reduces our products’ overall environmental footprint. The Refine™ process utilizes a supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing medium, which effectively dissolves and transfers dyes into textile fibers, ensuring superior colorfastness and levelness. |
89%less water use overall |
63%less water use overall |
60%less energy |
rePETe™ and Refine™ Combine
Refine will combine with our trademarked rePETe fabric to create “rRePETe + Refine,” a new generation of “for the planet” products. These will include:
Vita rePETe | Sling rePETe |
In NEW Colors
You’ll also find new trending and nature-inspired colors to choose from, including midnight Obsidian, ocean-inspired Sapphire, dessert-ready Jasper, forest-loving Sage, and an ode to our polar regions in Arctic blue.
At ChicoBag, impact is at the core of everything we do. We believe significant and enduring change is rooted in the details.
From how we ship our products to the systems creating them, we know the totality of our carbon footprint starts with better processes.
We’re proud to launch Refine™ as another #littlebitbetter step forward leading the way toward a better future for us all.