Episode 1: Growing Colour

The fashion industry is responsible for one fifth of global water pollution. It’s all down to the petroleum-based dyes used to colour our clothing: they are synthetic, toxic to the environment, and sullying water systems across the world. But what if there were another way to dye our clothes? What if we could ‘grow’ colour?

In this inaugural episode of The Edge, Kate Kenyon speaks to Iris Redinger, winner of the Mitacs Environmental Entrepreneur Award and Founder of green-tech start-up Material Futures, about her company’s bright idea to produce colour naturally using microorganisms.

Kate also speaks to Leah Barrett, Professor at George Brown College, Beth Mason, CEO of the Verschuren Centre, and Ashley Hannon, Mitacs Senior Advisor, to understand the bigger picture.