A Greener Way to Make Blue Jeans
While the majority of blue jeans are dyed with synthetically produced indigo, researchers at the University of California have potentially discovered a way to make the process more eco-friendly—and the answer is bacteria. Instead of adding to the many chemicals (including formaldehyde) released during the now-traditional practice, scientists created a strain of E. coli bacteria which only needs to have an enzyme added to dye the cotton. That said, many designers are returning to natural indigo dye—which results in richer colors and a much happier environment. Read more at Smithsonian Mag.
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