Innovative range of next-gen eco-friendly fabric dye derived from charcoal waste
Only Sri Lankan firm ranked on the ‘Top 10 Innovations in Street Sports’ at ISPO Munich
2022
Winner of Best Projects Sustainability Award 2022 by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
South Asia Textiles (Pvt) Ltd. (SAT), a subsidiary of Hayleys Fabric PLC is making waves in the global
and local fashion industry with ‘Midnight by Charcoal’ – a novel range of textiles featuring organic
dyes derived from biomass charcoal waste.
SAT’s ‘Midnight’ range gained fresh international acclaim, after winning a place among the ‘Top 10
Innovations in the Street Sports’ category at ISPO Munich – a leading German platform for
discovering and showcasing the world’s most innovative, sustainable, high-performance fabrics. This
is the second time in the past year that a powerful Sri Lankan innovation in eco-friendly fabric dyes
has been recognized by ISPO, and both from the Hayleys Fabric Group.
Locally, the ‘Midnight’ innovation also won the coveted Best Projects Sustainability Award, at the
recently concluded Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2022 (BCCSA), organized by the
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
“The entire team at Hayleys Fabric and South Asian Textiles is honored by the positive response
following the launch of our fabric dye ‘Midnight by Charcoal’. We believe that such organically
sourced, eco-friendly innovations hold the potential to create the next generation of sustainable
textiles. In line with our purpose: to strengthen the fabric of society by knitting together a better
environment for all, these solutions are enabling a new paradigm of circularity across the global
fashion industry” Hayleys Fabric Managing Director, Rohan Goonetilleke said.
Notably, SAT was the only textile manufacturer to win at this year’s BCCSA, which is considered to
be Sri Lanka’s most competitive, and highest profile platform for showcasing Environmental, Social,
and Governance (ESG) leadership.
The sustainable innovations being pioneered at the Hayleys Group’s textile manufacturing sector are
part of a broader commitment towards the policies and targets laid out in the Hayleys Lifecode.
Leading the charge on the company’s eco-friendly fabric dyes is Hayleys Fabric PLC Head of
Press Release
Sustainability and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer for Responsible
Production, Leonie Vaas.
“While the fashion industry is associated with a large environmental footprint, we believe that
sustainable innovations pioneered at Hayleys Fabric could pave the way to a truly circular model for
fashion globally. If we can transition from synthetic to natural dyes completely, it is estimated that
we could potentially reduce Green House Gas emissions by as much as 36%.
“This has immense positive implications for the environment, especially given that the global market
for natural dye is projected to hit $ 5 billion by 2024. This growth is being driven by a new
generation of conscious consumers that are genuinely passionate about supporting and rewarding
brands that can demonstrate a real positive impact. ”
Hayleys Fabric PLC is a pioneer in textiles manufacturing in Sri Lanka capable of delivering end-to-
end solutions from design to manufacture, and was the first apparel sector company to be listed on
the Colombo Stock Exchange in 2003. Maintaining a production capacity of 4.5 million meters of
fabric per month, the company stands as a leading partner to globally renowned fashion, apparel and
accessories brands, including Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Decathlon,
NEXT, PVH, Asics, PINK Intimissimi, Marks and Spenser, and Calzedonia..
South Asia Textiles, a subsidiary of Hayleys Fabric PLC, is a leading manufacturer and exporter of
textiles. The company commenced its commercial operations in 2004 and specialises in knitting,
dyeing, finishing, printing, brushing, and sueding pre-shrunk fabric.
Hayleys Fabric and SAT are both signatories to the Science-Based Targets initiatives (SBTi) for
reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and limiting global warming to1.5°C as part of a broader
effort to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. SAT also recently obtained the ISO 14001 and ISO
45001 certifications for elevating its environmental sustainability and employee health and safety
systems on par with global best practices.
