Woolmark has joined forces with COLOURizd, a leader in dry textile colouring, to launch a breakthrough yarn dyeing technology called QuantumCOLOUR for wool and wool blends. The innovation, which will debut at Pitti Immagine Filati in Florence from July 1-3, offers a radically more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional wool dyeing.

QuantumCOLOUR drastically cuts resource usage, requiring only 0.5 litres of water per kilogram of yarn compared to 60-120 litres in traditional dyeing. The process eliminates the need for bleaching, pre-treatment, and wastewater discharge. Only a wetting agent and a bluesign-certified pigment binder are used, making it a low-impact, closed-loop system suitable even for facilities without water treatment infrastructure.

“After extensive testing on Merino wool and wool blends, we realised COLOURizd has created something truly revolutionary for the wool industry,” said Julie Davies, General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension at Woolmark. “This process delivers beautiful colour depth while significantly reducing environmental impact.”

Unlike conventional methods that use caustic soda, acids, salts and large amounts of water, COLOURizd’s pigment is injected into the yarn fibre bundle, creating soft textures and a wide range of hues. The technology has been validated by Woolmark on 100 per cent Merino and blends with cotton, Tencel, and nylon, across yarn counts from 30/2NM to 80/1NM. Tests confirm excellent colourfastness and wear durability on yarns, fabrics, and garments.

COLOURizd CEO Jennifer Thompson noted, “Woolmark represents the gold standard in wool, and this partnership will help us bring our low-impact process to new global markets. We're excited to extend sustainable performance to wool manufacturers worldwide.”

The two companies will showcase the innovation at booth I/20 during the upcoming Pitti Filati event in Florence.