Traceability is the buzz word in the fashion industry today as it grapples to find ways to provide more transparent information on their sustainability efforts to their customers. Most of the large retailers and brands have announced goals to achieve certain standards in the materials and other inputs that they use in their products. However, even with the best of intentions, they cannot be 100% sure of what their supply chain is doing and here comes the role of Traceability solutions. These solutions can provide the lens through which the brands can show their sustainability efforts to their customers with least distortions.
Haelixa , a Swiss company, has developed an innovative technology based on DNA that allows to physically mark, trace and authenticate products. A unique marker is developed to be able to identify a specific brand, supplier, or even production lot. The marker is applied to the product and stays safely embedded in the product during the entire textile processing. The verification test can be done with the final garment or any intermediate product such as yarn. The Haelixa marker is harmless for humans and the environment, GMO-free, vegan, Oekotex 100 compliant, and GOTS certified, yet strong enough to withstand all textile processing such as bleaching or dyeing. It helps to substantiate claims by the supply chain to their brands on the one hand and by brands to the consumers on the other. So for example, being able to prove and substantiate claims that the final garment is indeed made with organic cotton from a specific country or that the garment contains recycled fibre becomes more and more important.
Soorty is one of the most important denim fabric and apparel exporters in Pakistan and is known globally for their high quality products supplied to some of the most reputed brands. Soorty recently tied up with Haelixa to use their technology to mark the recycled fiber used in their fabrics. The idea is for Soorty to enable their customers (brands and retailers) to physically verify their recycled fibers used .
Haelixa has developed a unique DNA marker to be able to identify Soorty’s recycled cotton. The marker is solved in liquid and then applied to textile post-consumer waste before mechanical recycling takes place in the spinning mill in Pakistan. Spot checks are done with the intermediate products as well as tests with the final garment to prove that the product indeed contains the recycled cotton. The test is based on highly scalable PCR technology that is 100% reliable and has forensic validity as per Haelixa. Being able to prove its claims is crucial for Soorty as the company has a strong focus on sustainability, and recycling is a major pillar of its sustainability strategy with a current recycling proportion of around 23%. The new waste segregation system is expected to further improve the recycling proportion by another 10% yearly.
Haelixa will also offer Soorty’s clients the use of its label “Marked & Traced by Haelixa” for garments. So Soorty customers can inform the end consumer about their supply chain transparency efforts using a solid technological traceability solution. The label can be complemented with a QR code linking to a dedicated landing page, where the brands can bring their product story to life and enable customers to access supply chain and product verification data.
Tanja Schlager, VP Marketing at Haelixa , was very confident about industry’s awareness of the traceability solutions .
“We see an increasing demand for traceability coming from brands and manufacturers as greenwashing becomes a major issue in the textile industry. Transparency and reliable data are the two parameters that prevent greenwashing accusations from coming up in the first place. Manufacturers see added value in traceability as it re-assures their customers, creates trust, and provides a competitive edge being able to offer traceable products that minimize the supply chain risks of their customers.”
We thought a topic as important as traceability and how the supply chain is working on it deserved a live webinar where attendees can delve deeper into the same and also get their queries clarified . Do join us for a talk with Mansoor Bilal – VP Marketing Soorty Enterprises and Tanja Schlager – VP Mktg Haelixa and moderated by Sandeep Agarwal from Denimsandjeans .
Do register for the webinar which will happen on 29th March at 1.30pm Central Europe Time . Registration link . You can also pre share your questions or any queries to be taken up during the discussion by emailing Tanja Schlager at t.schlager@haelixa.com
