Natalie McCormack
Using natural British dyes to develop biodegradable textile collections
Project
Botanica Textiles
URL
Location
Yorkshire and the Humber
Theme
Sustainability & Circular Economy
Using natural British dyes to develop biodegradable textile collections
Natalie McCormack came up with her business idea after learning about the devastating social and environmental effects of synthetic dyes. She loved experimenting with colour in textiles, but wanted to find a sustainable alternative.
Natalie founded Botanica Textiles, a woven textile design studio which creates 100 percent naturally dyed, organic and biodegradable textile collections. Her next goal is to commercialise natural British dyes for the interiors market by analysing the changes of 50 organic, natural ingredients throughout the year.
As Natalie explains, synthetic dyes give consistent, dependable colour all year round, whereas the colour of natural dyes changes throughout the year. She hopes that her research will illuminate some of the complexities around natural dyes and make them more easily accessible to consumers.
She adds:
“After learning about the dreadful social and environmental impacts of the synthetic dye industry, I knew that it would take mentorship from industry professionals and funding to be able to undertake a project of this scale. The Young Innovators programme offers me both the mentorship and funding to be able to turn my dream of making a sustainable difference into a reality.”
