ESG Outlook is Sourcing Journal’s discussion series with industry executives to get their take on their company’s latest environmental, social and governance initiatives and their own personal efforts toward sustainability. Here, Philippe Berlan, CEO of French “green-chemistry” textile dyeing company EverDye, discusses how brands can depollute and decarbonize their textile dyeing operations.
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Name: Philippe Berlan
Title: CEO
Company: EverDye
What do you consider your company’s best ESG-related achievement over the last five years?
Founded in 2021, EverDye is a French, green-chemistry company revolutionizing textile dyeing, one of the most polluting steps in fashion production. Our patented, bio-based, low-temperature process makes it possible to depollute and decarbonize dyeing operations in the textile industry, replacing fossil-based, high-energy processes with a clean, bio-sourced alternative.
Additionally, this ready-to-scale technology works on existing industrial machinery, allowing brands to reduce their footprint immediately, without changing infrastructure.
What is your company’s latest ESG-related initiative?
Our current focus is on extending our dyeing technology to polyester and synthetic fibers, which represent the largest share of global textile production. Achieving this will enable a massive reduction in energy and water consumption across the industry’s most widespread materials.
EverDye’s mission is to “offer color without burning the planet.”
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What is the biggest misconception consumers have about sustainability in fashion/accessories? How does your company message correct information to the public?
Most consumers know very little about how clothes are made and the pollution hidden in production, especially in dyeing, which gives color to every fabric they wear. Our mission is “to offer color without burning the planet.” By helping brands communicate measurable sustainability, we turn what was once invisible into a tangible commitment.
What was your company’s biggest takeaway from the Covid crisis that is still relevant today?
Although EverDye was founded after Covid, we clearly see that the pandemic reshaped environmental awareness. It accelerated the demand for transparency and responsibility, which continue to drive transformation within the textile industry.
As consumers become more aware of worker conditions and how clothing is produced, how can the industry best spread the word on progress?
There are two key paths forward. First, the industry needs a sincere commitment from brands—including concrete actions, transparency and open communication through sustainability reports. Second, the industry needs regulation—strong frameworks that push every market actor to measure, report and improve. Both approaches are necessary to ensure accountability and real progress.
What do you consider the apparel industry’s biggest missed opportunity related to securing meaningful change?
The failure to consider the common good. The pursuit of ever-cheaper products undermines fair wages, depletes resources and ignores the massive environmental cost embedded in prices. Additionally, this mindset distorts consumers’ perception of value, eroding their ability to choose quality and durability over quantity.
What is your personal philosophy on shopping and caring for clothes? How do you minimize environmental impact?
Every item of clothing should last. I choose timeless styles, high-quality pieces and brands with transparent practices. When garments reach the end of their life, I ensure they go to recycling centers rather than landfill.
How much do you look into a brand’s social or environmental practices before shopping?
Both professionally and personally, I pay close attention to a brand’s ethics and supply chain. I no longer buy from companies linked to forced labor, such as those exploiting Uyghur workers, and I prioritize products made from recycled materials. I avoid ultra-fast fashion and low-cost platforms entirely.
Anything new you are doing to boost sustainability beyond fashion?
My work with EverDye itself embodies this commitment, developing a new, non-toxic way to produce colored textiles. Color is deeply human, yet the way it is made today harms the planet. Innovating in this space is both my professional mission and my personal contribution to a more sustainable world. We believe that real sustainability starts with science and ends with scalability. EverDye’s role is to bridge that gap, proving that beauty, performance and responsibility can coexist in the fashion industry.
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