Orta is the first denim mill to adopt Archroma’s FiberColors, an innovative dye range partially derived from recycled wool waste.

FiberColors dyes are synthesized with a minimum of 50 percent wool waste, specifically fleeces that sheep farmers would otherwise pay to dispose of. By upcycling this unwanted material, the patented Archroma technology replaces petroleum-based raw materials without compromising performance, water or energy consumption, or waste generation in the dye manufacturing process.

Archroma reports that the GOTS-approved dyes deliver the same dyeing and fastness performance as conventional sulfur dyes.

The Swiss specialty chemical company first unveiled the concept last year; after several months of refinement, it is relaunching it this spring with Orta’s support.

Following a successful trial in late 2025, the Turkish denim mill has selected three shades from the FiberColors palette to feature in its Fall/Winter 2027-2028 collection. The colors include Diresul Fiber-Teak (brown), Diresul Fiber-Slate (blue-gray) and Diresul Fiber-Graphite (dark gray)—echoing the growing demand for wearable neutrals.  

Orta is a frequent early adopter of pioneering dye technologies. The mill was among the first to introduce fabrics dyed with BioBlack TX by Nature Coatings and Pili’s Eco-Indigo, a bacteria-based alternative to petroleum-derived indigo dye. This new collection underscores the commercial readiness of FiberColors for premium denim applications.

“We believe that aesthetics and ethics are inseparable,” Sebla Onder, Orta’s marketing and sustainability manager. “We are demonstrating that the circular economy is commercially viable today—upcycling waste streams to solve a problem for sheep farmers while creating on-trend denim garments that can themselves be safely recycled and even composted at end of life.”

FiberColors builds on the success of Archroma’s EarthColors platform, which has now been adopted by more than 50 global brands resulting over 60 tons of plant residue from the herbal and pharmaceutical industries being recycled.

“With FiberColors, we identified wool waste as another significant stream that circular chemistry could transform—giving brands a compelling and fully traceable sustainability story. Orta’s decision to bring this into commercial denim production is exactly the kind of partnership that proves these technologies are ready to scale,” said Julio Perales, Archroma technical and product segment manager, denim.