ILANGA
Igor - Founder at ILANGA
16th February 2026
From Organic Waste to Natural Pigment
R4: Who is ILANGA, and How Did Your Story Begin?
Igor: Having a background in fashion, I initially wanted to build my own clothing brand rooted in African culture. From the beginning, I was committed to working exclusively with natural fabrics and natural dyes, creating something that felt honest in both material and story.
That direction led me deep into natural dyeing. I began experimenting with plants, food waste, and different fabrics. I tested onion skins, coffee grounds, and other organic leftovers, adjusting extraction methods and fixation techniques along the way. It was hands-on work that required patience and repetition. Over time, I started to see color not just as a finishing element, but as a material system.
The more I worked with natural dyes, the more aware I became of how industrial pigment production operates. Most pigments are fossil-based, designed for efficiency and scale, yet they contribute significantly to industrial water pollution.
I started with small production and workshops, but I kept questioning the scale of impact. Was I building something that could influence the system, or was I creating a smaller alternative within it?
As I researched the dye industry more deeply, looking at where color enters production and how pigment systems are structured, it became clear that staying at the level of a clothing brand would limit the impact. Receiving a grant around that time allowed the research to expand and gave space to test scalability more seriously.
Gradually, the focus shifted toward pigment development — transforming organic waste (like onion skins and coffee grounds) into natural powder pigments that could function within larger material production systems.
Three commitments guided that evolution: planet-first color, innovating heritage, and modifying perspectives. They served as practical filters for every decision. Pigment development aligned most strongly with them because it allowed natural color to move beyond a single brand or studio and enter the supply chain itself.
That is how ILANGA evolved into what it is today.
R4: What Problem Are You Addressing?
Igor: The problem we address through ILANGA sits at the core of how color is produced today.
Most pigments used in production today are synthetic and fossil-based. They work well at scale, but they come with a cost. Around 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment processes.
That impact is built into the way the system currently works.
At the same time, huge amounts of organic waste are thrown away every year, while only 8.6% of the global economy operates in a circular way.
We discard biological materials that could be reused, and we keep extracting fossil resources to create something as basic as color.
ILANGA operates at the intersection of those two realities.
We develop natural pigments from food waste and turn organic leftovers into scalable color systems. Not as a niche alternative, but as a credible step toward reimagining how color is made — and making it more transparent in the supply chain.
R4: What Makes ILANGA Different?
Igor: What makes ILANGA different is hyperfocus.
Sustainability, circularity and material innovation are all connected. But from early on, we chose not to position ILANGA as a general sustainability platform or brand.
We chose one lens: color. Everything runs through that lens.
Color is not just aesthetic. It is material. It carries heritage, knowledge and technical intelligence that existed long before synthetic chemistry replaced it. Innovating Heritage means taking that knowledge seriously and translating it into natural pigment systems that can function today, at scale.
Our ambition is to become a leader in the natural pigment industry — not as a niche alternative, but as a serious material player.
At the same time, we are shifting perspectives. Most attention in production goes to the base material — the fiber, the structure, the fabric. The finishing stage is often treated as secondary. But color defines identity, value and perception. It shapes how a material is experienced.
ILANGA puts color back on the map.
That is why our presence is curated. We do not show up everywhere or attach ourselves to every circular initiative or conversation. If something strengthens planet-first pigment innovation and elevates the importance of finishing processes, it aligns. If it pulls us away from that direction, we do not pursue it.
Hyperfocus is how we build leadership.
R4: How Can the Industry Help You Scale?
Igor: Scaling natural pigment development cannot happen alone. It requires collaboration at different levels.
We need strong waste partners who are willing to build reliable collection and logistics systems with us. If food waste is going to become a serious raw material, it needs structure. Collection, sorting and processing all need to be organised properly.
We also need manufacturers who are open to testing and integrating natural pigments into their existing processes. That includes investing in research and development, especially around color fastness. Durability — how a color performs in washing, light exposure and long-term use — is one of the most important challenges in natural pigment systems. Without strong performance, adoption will always remain limited.
Infrastructure cannot be built through one-off trials. Long-term partnerships are essential.
Certification alignment, such as GOTS and OEKO-TEX®, also plays an important role in enabling broader integration.
For me, scaling is not about visibility. It is about integration. If natural pigments remain a niche solution, their impact stays small. If they become reliable, high-performing inputs at scale, they can begin to replace fossil-based pigments where possible.
R4: How Do You Envision ILANGA in 10 Years?
Igor: In ten years, I see ILANGA embedded in the material system itself.
Regional production hubs transforming local food waste into pigment. Natural color integrated into international manufacturing. Expanded pigment ranges. Deeper research into bio-based color systems.
But more than scale, I imagine transparency.
How powerful would it be if your care label didn’t just tell you how to wash a garment and what it’s made of — but also where its color came from?
Dyed with onion skins.
Colored with avocado waste.
The ambition is not to remain an alternative, but to become a standard within circular material production.
What began as an exploration of natural dyeing has grown into a long-term commitment: to rethink where color begins — shifting from fossil-based pigment systems to circular, biologically rooted ones.
pc: Luz Soria