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At Aalto University in Finland, PhD scholar Ritesh Sharma is working on a new approach that uses Agro waste as a source of natural colorants, potentially reshaping the upcoming of textile dyeing and printing. Ritesh is conducting his doctoral research in the Textile Chemistry group at the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, under the FinnCERES flagship and the PEFF (Plant-based Extracts for Functionalization of Cellulosic Fibers) project, a collaboration between VTT Finland and Aalto University. His work focuses on extracting bioactive compounds, particularly natural dyes, from residues such as onion peels and berry pomace. Instead of treating these byproducts as waste, his research seeks to valorize them into functional resources for textiles and cellulosic films.

Beyond textile dyeing, one major avenue where natural dyes could have a transformative impact is in textile printing, an industry that is still heavily reliant on petroleum-derived binders and auxiliaries. To overcome this challenge, Ritesh has developed a fully biobased binder system that works effectively with a wide range of natural dyes. These new formulations not only ensure excellent color fastness, wash durability, and print quality, but also eliminate petroleum-derived ingredients. “This development shows that we can achieve both performance and sustainability in textile printing,” Ritesh emphasizes.