Fashion for Good and Textile Exchange have partnered to tackle challenges within the certified textile waste supply chain. The two-year Tracing Textile Waste Project will specifically look to improve transparency beyond the recycler for pre-consumer material inputs.
- Aligning waste data classifications and fostering system interoperability will be pivotal to this work and ultimately, help to improve data integrity.
- The overall goal is to provide an industry framework that can be scaled for potential implementation into GRS/RCS chain of custody requirements and for other recycled supply chains, with the potential for broader application across other recycled supply chains.
THE CONTEXT: Tracing textile waste is currently a manual and fragmented process, with data collected not being classified and standardised efficiently for consolidation and exchange.
- The current lack of transparency on the origins of textile feedstock is seen as a significant bottleneck in progressing towards scaling up recycled textiles.
- However, increased brand and regulatory pressure demonstrates the need for transparency to preserve the authenticity and origin of feedstock for recycled materials.
LEVERAGING EXISTING STANDARDS: The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) are the leading benchmarks for textile recycling in the textiles-fashion-apparel industry. These standards provide a framework for tracking certified input of textile waste between recyclers and downstream actors through a Chain of Custody model.
- Visibility beyond the recycler is limited to the seller of reclaimed material which can be identified via the Reclaimed Material Declaration Form (RMDF). This serves as a template for sellers of reclaimed materials to disclose product details to recyclers.
- The Tracing Textile Waste Project will build upon the RMDF to create an open-source data standard which will be validated using selected use cases for pre-consumer reclaimed material.
- The goal is to provide an industry framework that can be scaled for potential implementation into GRS/RCS chain of custody requirements and for other recycled supply chains.
- The development of this template will be supported by extensive consultation with leading standards, brands and system stakeholders. By aligning with established frameworks and soliciting input directly from the field, the effort is to enhance efficiency in information exchange and strengthen the certification and verification processes for recycled materials.
THE OUTPUT: The initiative will establish a standardised system for classifying and collecting data on textile waste, materialised via a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the RMDF.
- To support this effort, a Glossary of Terms defining relevant waste-related terminology will be developed.
- To measure the effectiveness of the MVP, real-world testing will be conducted using selected use cases, including through the Reverse Resources platform.
- The project will also explore how the transfer of data through the supply chain can be enhanced and improved by exploring opportunities for improved API integration.
THE PLAYERS: The project is driven by Fashion for Good and Textile Exchange, with support from Control Union and brand partners including Adidas, Target, Bestseller, Norrøna, and Levi Strauss & Co.
- Ecosystem stakeholders involved are Reverse Resources, Recover and Usha Yarns.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Brands, and even consumers, are increasingly interested in knowing where their recycled products come from, including the sources of the materials being reused. This project aims to standardise and connect the data between the waste, certification, and traceability systems to achieve traceability of pre-consumer reclaimed materials. We support the work on data standardisation to enable interoperability between systems, enhancing data accuracy and quality, and improving data flow. These efforts are essential for consistent and reliable data collection and traceability.
— Evonne Tan
Senior Director (Data & Technology)
Textile Exchange
We know there are various unlocks which are crucial on the path to scaling textile to textile recycled materials and traceability is one of them. The quality and consistency of data is a challenge across the industry and particularly within traceability. Through this project we can enhance and standardise the quality of data collected and hopefully accelerate the evolution of existing standards and certifications. We are pleased to be partnering with Textile Exchange again and continuing our work together.
— Katrin Ley
Managing Director
Fashion for Good
Partnering on the Tracing Textile Waste Project allows us to deepen our commitment to transparency and accountability in the supply chain. By piloting the traceability of textile waste in the adidas supply chain, we can ensure the integrity of recycled materials and drive meaningful change across the industry. We are excited to collaborate with Fashion for Good, Textile Exchange, and our fellow brand partners to lead the way towards a more sustainable future.
— Viviane Gut
Senior Director (Sustainability)
Adidas
