Denim has a water problem. Can this new digital dye solve it?

The classic blue color of denim has an environmental cost: Dyeing a single pair of jeans uses 20 gallons of water and requires industrial chemicals. But a new approach to digital printing re-creates the same look with around 2 tablespoons of water and bio-based dyes. A startup called Wtrlss, now beginning to work with major brands, developed a patented biochemistry dye that’s added directly to rolls of fabric using its industrial-scale inkjet printers. Digital printing isn’t new, but typically it involves printing only on the surface of the fabric. Instead, this new technology fully bonds t...