Sealty Colours

Zeefier uses seaweed as a sustainable source of colour. Preferably seaweed that is washed up on the shore or seaweed that is cultivated for consumers. Zeefier intends to produce seaweed dye for the textile market. The knowledge of the Centre of Expertise MNEXT from Avans University of Applied Sciences lies in the analysis of natural colours and facilities in non-food applications, such as textile and biopolymers.

Creative designer and co-founder of Zeefier, Nienke Hoogvliet, discovered the potential of seaweed as a lightfast textile dye. The objective of the partners Zeefier and Avans/MNEXT is the exploration and development of colouring isolates from seaweed. For this, we focus on the quality and quantity of the pigments present in brown seaweed. At the end of the project, Zeefier will have a process flow diagram of how to obtain colourfast extracts from seaweed. In addition, it is also known which type of isolates and compounds are relevant for the colour. In this way, Zeefier can provide both advice on colour but also the isolates needed. The dyeing method will be applicable in standard industrial dyeing processes. With this companies in the textile industry will have a wider choice in using environmentally friendly products. In the end, this will lead to completely biodegradable products for consumers.