WTRLSS launches new digital dyeing technology, minimizing water usage by up to 99.9 percent

A new start-up biotech company, WTRLSS, is aiming to redefine denim manufacturing with its digital dyeing process that reduces the amount of water used by up to 99.9 percent.

Co-founded by award-winning scientist and pioneer of digital textile printing, Dr. Mickaël Mheidle, and entrepreneur, investor, and producer Kareem “Biggs” Burke, WTRLSS centers on a patented one-step digital process that almost completely eliminates the use of water, together with heavy chemicals and wastewater.

The first-of-its-kind WTRLSS streamlines the entire denim dyeing process into a single step. The majority of conventional denim dyeing involves several steps, requiring harsh chemicals, water, and more, and is often cited as one of the industry’s most resource-intensive processes. The dyeing and finishing of a pair of jeans usually requires about 20 gallons, or 75 litres of water. WTRLSS’ new technology reduces this amount drastically to just two tablespoons, or 20 ml per pair.

According to WTRLSS, its technology reduces water use in denim dyeing and finishing by up to 99.9 percent and energy use by 90 percent by removing the multiple wet and dry stages of conventional denim production, such as dye baths, wash-off, water-based pre- and post-treatments, and toxic chemicals.

As these stages are eliminated, WTRLSS also reduces costs linked to water consumption, wastewater treatment, and recycling while making it possible to dye denim in locations that are not water-dependent. It also brings production closer to end markets, helping manufacturers build more resilient local and near-shore supply chains and stay ahead of tightening environmental regulations.

Early adoption of the technology is already underway, with Ha-Meem Group, one of the world's largest denim manufacturers and a supplier to Levi's, Gap and H&M, partnering with WTRLSS on a commercial production pilot. Detroit-based nonprofit ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center) is also among the first to use the technology in its advanced manufacturing facilities.

The technology behind WTRLSS was developed by Swiss-French scientist Dr Mickaël Mheidle, who leverages three decades of experience across engineering, bioscience and digital technologies. At its core is WTRLSS' proprietary MultiActiv chemistry, designed for digital application without traditional wet processing. Previously known as Lab Denim, WTRLSS is now focused on bringing the technology to industrial scale.

“For more than a century, the industry has accepted that authentic denim comes with an enormous environmental cost,” said Dr. Mickaël Mheidle, Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Scientist of WTRLSS, in a statement. “We’ve proven it doesn’t have to. By combining bioscience with digital technology, we’ve created a fundamentally new way to create denim. This is about the digital transformation of one of fashion’s oldest and most resource-intensive industries.”

The technology works across natural and regenerated fibres such as cotton, jute, bamboo and linen, the largest segment of the global textile market by volume and value, and one still reliant on water-intensive processes.