CHT's Sustainable Dyeing Technology PIGMENTURA Wins German Sustainability Award

PIGMENTURA, a sustainable textile dyeing process developed by CHT Group, has been awarded in the Products category of the German Sustainability Award. The award ceremony was held in Düsseldorf on 4 December 2025.

The German Sustainability Awards, presented annually since 2008 and recognised as Europe's largest award organisation in this field, honours exemplary sustainability achievements in business, local government and research. The organisation evaluated over 800 applications across five competition categories and hosted approximately 2,000 guests at the closing ceremony.

Measurable Contribution to Sustainable Transformation
This year, the jury in the Products category assessed products that make concrete contributions to sustainable transformation in one of five transformation areas: climate, resources, nature, society and value chain. The evaluation considered not only technological innovations but also resource savings, emission reductions, circular economy contributions, social responsibility and the impact on sustainable production and consumption models. Scalability, innovativeness, exemplary value and long-term impact across the product lifecycle were also key criteria.

Following a two-stage evaluation process, solutions were awarded that deliver economic and social benefits and set new standards for sustainable products.

An Innovation Enhancing Resource Efficiency in the Textile Value Chain
The PIGMENTURA dyeing process developed by CHT Group delivers significant resource efficiency gains compared to conventional dyeing techniques through the pad-dry method. This innovative process reduces:

-Energy consumption

-CO₂ emissions

-Salt usage

-Rinsing water requirement

-Wastewater volume

substantially. This both saves fresh water and makes a strong contribution to environmental transformation in a high resource-consuming industry such as textiles.

The jury particularly emphasised that PIGMENTURA has high-impact potential not only for individual operations but across international supply chains. In this respect, the technology was described as an extremely critical innovation for the textile and fashion industry.

"We Developed a Completely New Process by Rethinking Existing Methods"
Eric Siekmann, Director of Sales for CHT Textile Solutions, commented on PIGMENTURA as follows:

"Developing chemical products and processes that make textile production more sustainable is of great importance to us. PIGMENTURA is a powerful example of how completely new processes can be developed by rethinking existing methods. Whereas conventional pigment dyeing requires pigments to be bonded to the textile, PIGMENTURA simplifies the process significantly through the principle of pigment adsorption onto the surface."

Dr. Annegret Vester, Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) at CHT, drawing attention to the development phase of the process, stated:

"It was an important turning point for us to see the enormous savings potential that can be achieved in the dyeing process with PIGMENTURA. Classical reactive dyeing requires very high energy and water consumption. During the development process, many challenges were overcome to bring each stage to industrial maturity. Despite different textile types, we have succeeded today in standardising the process."

Being Applied at Global Scale
Dr. Lorenza Sartorelli, COO of CHT Group, stated that PIGMENTURA is currently being used in the global fashion industry, saying:

"PIGMENTURA by CHT is being applied worldwide. Lower water consumption means less wastewater, and this contributes to the protection of rivers. We are making progress in active environmental protection in the global textile industry."

About CHT Group
Headquartered in Tübingen, Germany, CHT Group is a foundation-owned speciality chemicals manufacturer operating on a global scale. With approximately 2,500 employees and 26 production facilities serving international markets, CHT Group generated revenues of EUR 614 million in the 2024 financial year.

The company's product portfolio comprises:

-Textile Solutions (dyes and auxiliary chemicals for the entire textile value chain),

-Industrial Solutions (speciality silicones, paper and cellulose technologies, washing solutions),

-Functional Chemicals (paints, coatings, construction, adhesives, leather, agrochemicals and mining additives)

CHT Group, certified to international standards, places sustainability and social responsibility at the centre of its operations. The company will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2028.