#Sustainability

2022-07-28

Assessing tracer technologies to boost traceability

Fashion for good and textile exchange publish a tracer user guide for textile industry players to bolster traceability

Today Fashion for Good and Textile Exchange jointly release “The Textile Tracer Assessment”, a detailed guide of physical tracer technologies applicable to the textile supply chain. With the increasing importance placed on fibre provenance, authenticity and production, and the growing number of technologies available, the assessment provides fashion ecosystem stakeholders with an overview to evaluate and determine which tracer technologies would best suit their sustainability and operational needs.

This guide assesses promising physical tracer technologies applicable for improving traceability verification in the textile industry. Today, there is a lack of reliable verification for fibres, materials, and finished products. Scaling and further implementation of physical tracer technologies can help to address key industry challenges for traceability and help authenticate sustainability standards and certification.

POLYESTER TEXTILE MESH<br />
CREDIT: URIEL SC — POLYESTER TEXTILE MESH CREDIT: URIEL SC

“The Textile Tracer Assessment provides much needed analysis and guidance to the textile industry players seeking clarity and direction to better understand and implement physical tracing technologies in their supply chains. This is only the beginning of this collaborative project, as more technologies mature and improved capabilities are added, it will provide the industry with an indispensable tool for traceability implementation.“ — Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good

The Textile Tracer Assessment is a tool for stakeholders across the supply chain from suppliers, to brands, to certification bodies, who are motivated to explore and implement physical tracer technologies to supplement existing traceability models.

BENCHMARKING KEY TECHNOLOGIES

Tracer technologies are solutions that analyse the microparticle composition of fibres, materials, and finished products (forensic tracers) OR apply tracer substances at a certain point in the supply chain, to be detected later to verify origin (additive tracers).

The forensic tracer category includes isotope/elemental profiling tracers and DNA analysis tracers. The additive tracer category includes synthetic/artificial DNA tracers, ink/rare earth fluorescent tracers, and optical fingerprints (watermarks and prints).

“Tracer technologies play an important role in connecting the forensic verified physical material to existing digital chain of custody. With the proliferation of innovations in this space, we are excited to provide the Textile Tracer Assessment as a starting guide to standards, suppliers and brands wanting to better understand this landscape. We look forward to the continued alignment and collaboration with technologies to strengthen material provenance and traceability in certified supply chains,“ — Evonne Tan, Data and Technology Director at Textile Exchange

STRENGTHENING VERIFICATION IN THE TEXTILE SUPPLY CHAIN

Current chain-of-custody processes fall short in physical/material authentications which may lead to false claims and the sourcing of fibres and materials with unchecked environmental risks. This report addresses the key challenges in both categories of tracer technologies, as well as how and where best they can be applied to strengthen chain-of-custody models and fibre/material integrity.

Tracer technologies can only facilitate the flow of information, and thus should be considered within a wider context of sustainability strategy. Physical tracer technologies work best when implemented in tandem with digital traceability, and are key to supplement site-level verification, and transactional-level verification providing robust, holistic and future-proofed traceability governance.

The Textile Tracer Assessment is just the start and will continue to expand - Fashion for Good and Textile Exchange are calling all tracer technologies related to the textile industry to join the Textile Tracer Assessment so that new and existing technologies and capabilities can be updated and showcased industry wide.

https://reports.fashionforgood.com/report/textile-tracer/

VAUDE eliminates PFAS from all products

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are now detectable worldwide – in drinking water, soil and the human body. These so-called “forever chemicals” are considered hazardous to health and potentially carcinogenic, as they do not break down and remain in the environment permanently. Despite these risks, PFAS are still used in a wide range of products. More than 15 years ago, VAUDE made a strategic decision to gradually eliminate PFAS from all product categories.

OEKO-TEX® chooses TextileGenesis to advance digital traceability for organic cotton

OEKO-TEX® today announced a full collaboration with TextileGenesis, a Lectra company, to digitally trace and authenticate organic cotton, strengthening fraud prevention across the supply chain. This announcement follows a successful pilot and brings together OEKO-TEX®’s certification expertise and closed testing system with TextileGenesis’ digital traceability platform to deliver a secure, end-to-end solution for managing certified organic cotton flows.

ICAC to support European Commission on pending PEF legislation

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.

ENDURANCE Program: Driving operational sustainability at Magnera

As Magnera enters a new year, the company is reflecting on a key sustainability milestone from 2025: the launch of ENDURANCE, its global, employee-led initiative focused on waste reduction and sustainable innovation. Launched on Earth Day 2025, this initiative has generated more than 250 improvement submissions from team members across Magnera’s global operations, demonstrating strong engagement and shared accountability for sustainability across the organization.

“Action helps us change what we do!”

DAY 0 takes place deliberately before PERFORMANCE DAYS begins. It is conceived as a space for reflection, dialogue and active engagement — a moment to pause before the fair, rethink established systems and address sustainability not as a trend, but as a fundamental transformation challenge. Under the guiding metaphor “Turn the Tap Off”, DAY 0 focuses on root causes rather than symptoms, systemic change rather than isolated solutions, and collective responsibility rather than individual silos.

Pets in fashion: functional and sustainable textiles find new market at Intertextile Apparel

China’s pet economy is booming, especially amongst younger generations, and pet apparel – from designer outfits to functional garments – was a RMB 3.5 billion (over USD 500 million) market in 2024, growing more than 20% annually¹. To help exhibitors harness this trend, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2026 will launch the Pet Boutique, presenting a range of innovative, sustainable materials that prioritise both functionality and comfort for pets.

Lenzing AG to become majority owner of TreeToTextile AB and accelerates industrialization of new fibers

The Lenzing Group is taking another strategic milestone by acquiring a controlling majority in the Swedish innovation company TreeToTextile AB. This step strengthens Lenzing’s position as a leading provider of sustainable, wood‑based specialty fibers and expands its innovation pipeline with a highly scalable, patent‑protected technology platform. The transaction is executed through the issuance of new shares.