Archroma and Orta Anadolu have announced a collaboration to introduce circular dye chemistry into commercial denim production, unveiling a new collection under the ORTA brand.
The collection will debut at Kingpins Amsterdam (April 15–16, 2026), where ORTA will present denim dyed using Archroma’s innovative FiberColors® technology.
Circular Innovation Through Wool Waste
FiberColors® dyes are produced using at least 50% pre-consumer wool waste, specifically discarded fleeces that would otherwise require disposal. This patented process replaces petroleum-based raw materials while maintaining performance, water efficiency, and low environmental impact.
The dyes deliver equivalent fastness and dyeing performance to conventional sulfur dyes and are also GOTS-approved, reinforcing their suitability for sustainable textile production.
Debut Collection Highlights
Following successful trials in late 2025, ORTA has selected three shades from the FiberColors® palette for its first collection:
- DIRESUL® FIBER-TEAK (brown)
- DIRESUL® FIBER-SLATE (blue-grey)
- DIRESUL® FIBER-GRAPHITE (dark grey)
The range reflects ORTA’s approach of combining aesthetic appeal with responsible manufacturing, demonstrating the commercial viability of circular dye technologies in premium denim.
Industry Perspective
“FiberColors® builds directly on the success of our EarthColors® platform, which has now been adopted by more than 50 global brands and helped us upcycle over 60 tons of plant residue from the herbal and pharmaceutical industries. With FiberColors®, we identified wool waste as another significant stream that circular chemistry could transform — giving brands a compelling and fully traceable sustainability story. ORTA’s decision to bring this into commercial denim production is exactly the kind of partnership that proves these technologies are ready to scale,” Julio Perales, Technical & Product Segment Manager Denim, Archroma, said.
Driving Circular Denim Forward
Founded in 1953, Orta Anadolu has built a global reputation for integrating sustainability with denim innovation. The latest collaboration underscores a broader industry shift toward circular economy models, where waste streams are repurposed into high-value materials.
“We believe that aesthetics and ethics are inseparable,” Sebla Onder, Marketing and Sustainability Manager of ORTA, said. “We are demonstrating that the circular economy is commercially viable today – upcycling waste streams to solve a problem for sheep farmers while creating on-trend denim garments that can themselves be safely recycled and even composted at end of life.”
