At CHA.CLOTH, we dye our fabrics with tea liquor extracted from used tea leaves, which are discarded during the manufacturing process of familiar tea-based beverages. We focus on the high antioxidant power of tea catechins, and attach these ingredients to the fabric to give it antibacterial and deodorizing effects.
Currently we use two dyeing methods: tea liquid dyeing and catechin dyeing.
Both can be dyed a variety of colors.
① Tea dye (left image)
The fabric is dyed with tea liquor made from upcycled tea leaves that are discarded during the production of tea beverages handled by ITO EN. The dyed fabric has antibacterial and deodorizing properties due to the green tea components contained in the tea leaves.
② Catechin dye (right image)
It is made using a unique method in which catechin components are extracted from tea leaves picked in special tea fields, turned into powder, and then fixed to the fibers through a dyeing process. Unlike the mordant method, which is a dyeing method using plant extracts, this is a safe dyeing technique that does not use any metal ions in the dyeing medium. It is also an environmentally friendly method that significantly reduces the amount of chemical auxiliary materials used during dyeing compared to conventional methods.
Image on the left: Plain (white) thread dyed with tea liquor only
Right: Dyeing with catechin powder and dye
This material was developed from an upcycling perspective, by recycling used tea leaves that would otherwise be thrown away.