The pilot program will be released in November at Textile Exchange’s annual global conference in Dublin, and the first phase will focus on the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and the Recycled Claim Standard(RCS).

“In an industry’s first, supply chain transactions along with a product level chain of custody will be verified digitally on the platform. eTrackit provides an alternative to the PDF-based transaction certificates, tracking each product’s volume of certified material entirely online via e-tokens. Our aim is that this technology accelerates positive impacts throughout the supply chain while also providing brands with the verified data they need to confidently make product claims.” says Claire Bergkamp, COO of Textile Exchange.

Seven global brands, including Bestseller, H&M Group, Inditex, tentree and VF Corporation, will pilot this innovative traceability system for GRS and RCS certified materials across their supply chains. Participating certification bodies include Control Union, USB Certification, IDFL, Intertek and Bureau Veritas. After these pilots, scaling programs will be designed to facilitate a rollout on a commercial level.  The traceability system will be further expanded to cover the animal fiber standards, followed by the Organic Cotton Standard (OCS) in 2022.

“H&M Group believe that supply chain traceability and transparency should go hand-in-hand to create greater accountability for where materials and product come from, and to drive positive change in the fashion industry.