Digital traceability platform CottonConnect and traceability solutions provider Haelixa have partnered with their cutting-edge technologies that will allow cotton fibres to be fully traced using digital and physical traceability solutions.
- CottonConnect’s TraceBale and Haelixa’s DNA marker, will help ensure that the marked material is used to manufacture the finished product and is traceable in the supply chain.
- Improving traceability has become a priority for brands and retailers in the move towards a more sustainable and ethical apparel industry. This partnership aims to prove that traceability will create transparency in the value chain, support circularity, and validate any sustainability claims.
The process: During the project, the DNA marker is applied at the ginning stage; when the cotton fibre is separated from the seed, the lint cotton is sprayed with the DNA marker.
- Once the marker adheres to the fibre, all the material manufactured from that cotton can be tested at any point in the supply chain, proving that the same DNA-marked fibre was used to manufacture specific garments.
- It can then be digitally traced through CottonConnect’s proprietary software tool, TraceBale, which based on its ‘bottom-up’ data gathering approach, provides visibility to the cotton journey from the farm group to the finished product.
WHAT THEY SAID:
At CottonConnect, we’ve been developing traceability solutions for ten years now, including our digital tool TraceBale, which is enabling brands to build a granular view of their cotton supply. We’re delighted to see new methods of validating our work. The DNA marker is helping deliver an integrated platform that is the future for retailers seeking traceability solutions.
— Alison Ward
Chief Executive Officer
CottonConnect
As the textiles industry begins to focus more on responsible choices, we know there is no one size fits all solution. Leveraging digital and physical traceability together reduces the risk for manufacturers and brands. Testing for our markers in the supply chain provides forensic proof of the value chain, and adding TraceBale adds another level of security.
— Abdelkader Amouche
Commercial Director
Haelixa
