Textile Tracer Assessment
This project involved a detailed analysis and assessment of physical tracer technologies for the textile industry, aimed at improving the traceability of fibres and materials across the supply chain. It evaluated forensic and additive tracers as solutions to verify the origins of materials and strengthen transparency in the textile supply chain.
What's the challenge?
The textile industry faces challenges in verifying the origin of fibres and materials across the supply chain, leading to transparency issues and a risk of false sustainability claims. Existing verification systems (site-level, transaction-level) fall short of providing material-level traceability, making it hard to prevent issues like counterfeiting and material substitution.
Executive Summary
The Textile Tracer Assessment provided a first-of-its-kind benchmark for physical tracer technologies in the textile industry. It categorises tracer technologies into forensic and additive tracers and evaluates their application in verifying the origins and authenticity of textile fibres. The report encourages the use of these technologies to enhance supply chain traceability and transparency, aligning with sustainability goals. It identifies use-cases for implementing tracer solutions, such as verifying recycled fibres and ensuring sustainable sourcing.
Goals of the Project
-
Benchmark physical tracer technologies for fibre traceability.
-
Enable the identification of appropriate tracer technologies based on specific use cases.
-
Support the development of supply chain transparency and sustainability through tracer technology adoption.
-
Provide guidance on implementing tracer technologies alongside digital traceability systems.
-
Facilitate the use of tracers in recycling processes to verify sustainable fibre content.
Project Results
-
Analysis of 17 tracer companies, resulting in two primary categories: Forensic Tracers (geographic verification) and Additive Tracers (material-level verification).
-
Successful identification of technologies that can be used across different tiers of the textile supply chain.
-
Key insights into the operational feasibility of using tracers for synthetic fibres and recycled materials.
-
Recommendations for combining physical tracer technologies with digital traceability efforts for comprehensive supply chain transparency.
-
Relevant Resources
Assessing Tracer Technologies to Boost Traceability
What is traceability?
Blockchain: Unlocking Transparency and Traceability in The Fashion Supply Chain
A major recent breakthrough in the traceability space occurred with the creation of the Aura Blockchain Consortium – whose members include LVMH, the Prada Group and Richemont (owner of Cartier). The Consortium operates as a non-profit, luxury-specific blockchain technology platform with the goal of developing passports to ensure authenticity and traceability of the brand’s products. The passports offer lifecycle tracking, proof of origin, and protection of intellectual property after being given a unique digital identity based on a non-fungible token (NFT).
Fashion Brands, Ready To Accelerate Your Sustainable Transformation with Digital Traceability?
TrusTrace, a market-leading platform for supply chain transparency and product traceability within the fashion and retail industries, has joined forces with Fashion Revolution and Fashion for Good to accelerate sustainable transformation in the fashion industry with the help of a one-stop guide.
Other Projects
Cotton Reloop Matrix
The Cotton Reloop Matrix Project maps and validates what mechanically recycled cotton fibre and yarn can currently deliver against real-world brand specifications, while collaborating with the supply chain to establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling and processing recycled fibres, building the shared, objective view needed to close that gap.
DW(O)R-X
Durable water- and oil-repellent repellency (DW(O)R) finishes are chemical treatments applied to textiles and footwear to keep materials dry, clean, breathable, and durable. Historically, these finishes have relied on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, PFAS are highly persistent, accumulate in the environment and in human bodies, and are associated with harmful health and ecological effects. Increasing regulatory restrictions, combined with brand sustainability commitments and rising consumer awareness, are accelerating the shift toward PFAS-free alternatives.
Sorting for Circularity Rewear
Fashion for Good expanded its Sorting for Circularity framework to address the challenge of sorting for rewearable textiles to understand better their resale potential and the demand across the second-hand market. We launched an 18-month initiative in January 2024 in collaboration with Circle Economy, brand partners adidas, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co. and Zalando to enhance the sorting of rewearable textiles using innovative AI technologies. The project seeks to improve garment recovery for resale, promoting circularity in the fashion industry.
