IKEA GreenTech AB — a venture capital division of Sweden-based retailer IKEA Group — has invested an undisclosed amount in the Netherlands-based DyeCoo Textile Systems BV to support DyeCoo's waterless textile dyeing technology. The investment supports delivery of IKEA Group Sustainability Strategy, People & Planet Positive, which is intended to drive the company toward seeking more sustainable products, operations and supply chains.
DyeCoo's supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SCF CO2) dyeing technology uses recycled CO2 instead of water and requires neither auxiliary chemicals nor a drying process. Its current technology is used to dye polyester fabrics. The partnership with IKEA GreenTech not only will help DyeCoo ramp up the polyester dyeing system but also will help it accelerate the development of cotton-dyeing processes and machinery.
"IKEA strives to have a positive impact on people and the planet," said Steve Howard, chief sustainability officer, IKEA Group. "By helping to scale the DyeCoo system for use with larger production volumes, we could help to make a big difference for the environment as well as workers and communities around textile facilities."
Beaverton, Ore.-based apparel and footwear company Nike Inc.'s strategic partnerships group worked alongside IKEA GreenTech throughout the investment process. In 2012, Nike invested in DyeCoo's technology to produce a line of apparel for elite athletes, with an idea of eventually using it to dye a much larger segment of its products (See " Nike To Use DyeCoo SCF CO2 Dyeing Technology," TextileWorld.com, March/April 2012).
"Ikea's decision to invest in this technology signals an exciting step in cross-industry collaboration," said Hannah Jones, vice president of sustainable business & innovation, Nike. "A key objective for Nike, when investing in DyeCoo, was to scale the technology to benefit consumers, business and the environment. We're delighted IKEA shares a similar objective to accelerate development of more sustainable materials and manufacturing processes."
