Natural dyes: Bridging tradition, innovation, and sustainability

Natural dyes have re-emerged as important alternatives to synthetic colorants because of their biodegradability, lower toxicity, and compatibility with sustainable industrial practices. They are obtained from plants, insects, microorganisms, and minerals, and have been used historically in textiles, cosmetics, food, and handicrafts. Recent interest in natural dyes is driven by environmental concerns linked to synthetic dye pollution, wastewater contamination, and health risks. At the same time, new extraction technologies, eco-friendly mordants, and modern characterization methods have improved dye yield, color performance, and industrial applicability. Despite these advantages, challenges such as shade inconsistency, limited fastness, raw material variability, and higher production cost still restrict large-scale adoption. This paper highlights the sources, value chain, applications, market potential, and sustainability prospects of natural dyes as part of a circular and green bioeconomy.