Circular economy and sustainability
R&D ON BIODYEING, BIOLOGICAL FINISHES AND BIORECYCLING OF NON‑CONVENTIONALLY VALORIZABLE TEXTILE WASTE
BIONATEX+
Motivation
The project arises in response to the urgent need to reduce the environmental impact of the textile sector by promoting sustainable alternatives for both coloration processes and waste management and valorization. In this context, the project proposes the continuation and advancement of two lines of work that have already demonstrated promising results: the production of microbiological indigo and the development of biorecycling processes.
Traditional indigo production involves high consumption of water and energy, the use of polluting reducing agents, and dependence on petroleum-derived products, significantly increasing the environmental footprint of denim dyeing. Consequently, the biotechnological production of indigo emerges as a cleaner and more efficient alternative. In parallel, biorecycling offers a pathway to transform textile waste from natural, synthetic, and blended fibers into valuable compounds, preventing landfill disposal, reducing microplastic release, and advancing toward genuine circular economy models.
Objectives
The main objective of this project is to develop sustainable processes for the textile sector, focusing on two key lines of action:
• Develop and validate a complete dyeing process based on microbiological raw materials and their combinations with other colour sources.
This line of work aims to establish a dyeing system that uses colourants obtained through biological processes, such as microbial pigments, while also exploring their potential integration with other sustainable colour sources. This includes optimizing application conditions, assessing compatibility with different textile substrates, and defining process routes that reduce the use of conventional chemical substances. The expected outcome is a robust, reproducible, and industrially scalable dyeing methodology.
• Develop advanced biotechnological solutions for the comprehensive valorization of natural and synthetic textile fibres through the use of biocatalysts, microorganisms, green solvents, and microencapsulation technologies, with the aim of obtaining high value-added by-products and enhancing the functional properties of textile materials.
Expected results
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Development of dyeing routes based on dry microbiological indigo pigments.
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Development of sustainable finishing processes.
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Production of glucose, amino acids, and other valuable by-products derived from the biological processing of cellulosic, protein-based, and synthetic textile waste.
Grant number: PENDING
Programme: Plan of non-economic activities 2026
Period of execution: January 2026 – December 2026
Status: In progress
More information: PLAN OF ACTION
Entity: IVACE
Project supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana, through IVACE.
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R&D AREAS
New high-performance functionalised materials
Circular economy and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing, smart textiles and digitalisation
High value-added solutions for strategic markets
RELATED PROJECTS
NEWS
AITEX is present at the Babykid FIMI fair at Feria Valencia from January 26 to 28, presenting tests and certifications for children’s products.
AITEX has attended the Cosmetorium fair in Barcelona once again on October to present its new products for the cosmetic sector.
AITEX has hosted the LIFE POLITEX workshop entitled “Closing the textile polyester cycle: challenges and opportunities”, based on promoting sustainable solutions for the management and recycling of textile materials.