Viscose Traceability Pilot
In December 2020, Fashion for Good launched a pilot to test the TextileGenesis™ platform, a blockchain-based solution for tracing sustainable viscose fibres. This pilot involved several partners including Bestseller, Kering and Zalando, in addition to manufacturers Lenzing, ENKA and Tangshan Sanyou. The pilot’s aim was to test the TextileGenesis™ platform and trace responsibly sourced viscose through digital and physical means across the supply chain.
What's the challenge?
6.3 million tonnes of viscose are used to produce garments annually. An estimated 30% of viscose is sourced from endangered forests, making it crucial to verify the origin of sustainably-sourced fibres.
Executive Summary
The pilot involved tracing ~23,000 product units across the three brand partners. The platform successfully tracked viscose fibres, verifying their origin through blockchain technology using TextileGenesis™. The pilot showcased the platform’s potential to enhance supply chain transparency and sustainability, helping brands verify material authenticity and certification. The key goal of the project was to implement a robust, scalable traceability system using both blockchain technology and physical tracers to ensure sustainably sourced viscose.
Project Results
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Demonstrated a scalable traceability solution for the viscose supply chain, covering fibre to finished product, and illustrates how digital traceability platforms integrate with physical tracer technologies.
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Since the pilot, TextileGenesis has gone on to work with 150+ brand partners and has onboarded 12,000+ supply chain actors on the platform.
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Innovators
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Implementation Partners
Funders
Relevant Resources
From Fibre To Finish To Scale: Tracing Viscose And Beyond
From Fibre to Finish: Tracing Sustainable Viscose
In Conversation with Spinnova: From Wood Pulp to Chemical-Free Viscose Alternative
Blockchain’s potential tested in new viscose project
Dutch sustainability initiative Fashion for Good has kick-started a Viscose Traceability Project which assesses blockchain technology’s performance in tracing the cellulosic fibre throughout the textile supply chain.
Fashion for Good Celebrates The Success Of The Viscose Traceability Pilot Project
On World Rainforest Day, Fashion for Good celebrates the success of the Viscose Traceability Pilot Project, a consortium to trace sustainable viscose in clothing using the company’s blockchain tracing solution. TextileGenesis innovator. With around 30% viscose coming from threatened forests, the validation of TextileGenesis’ solution is an important step towards transparency in the value chain and ensuring that the fibers come from renewable sources.
The Search for Fashion Supply Chain Transparency
In 2019, Zalando partnered with platform for sustainable innovation Fashion for Good on its “Organic Cotton Traceability Pilot”, which combines on-product authentication markers and blockchain technology to track organic cotton from farm to consumer. In December 2020, the German etailer started supporting Fashion for Good’s newest project, the Viscose Traceability Project, which uses blockchain technology to trace viscose. It also supports the Open Apparel Registry (an open-source map and database of global apparel facilities) to map garment facilities worldwide and allocate a unique ID to each facility.
Other Projects
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.
Behind the Break
Behind the Break is a multi-phase research initiative developed by Fashion for Good in collaboration with The Microfibre Consortium. The project takes a research-led approach to advance the fashion industry’s understanding of fibre fragmentation, addressing uncertainties in existing testing protocols and key knowledge gaps. By supporting the development of a more credible and consistent foundation, the initiative aims to enable stakeholders to make informed decisions and take decisive action to mitigate fibre fragment pollution, while leveraging the best available science.
Behind the Break 2.0
Behind the Break 2.0 is a targeted research initiative focused on addressing fibre fragmentation in textiles, building directly on the work started in Phase 1.0 (2024–2025), which tested the strengths and limitations of different methods used to measure fibre loss, identifying how much results vary between labs, and exploring what drives fibre shedding across three fabric types: cotton knit, cotton woven, and polyester knit. Phase 2.0 seeks to increase confidence in data quality, consolidate and refine existing testing approaches and knowledge across selected fabric archetypes, and deepen supplier engagement to support wider data collection within the space.
