Global traceability experts FibreTrace have released a free digital traceability solution for the textile industry, which maps the global textile supply chain from fibre to retail.
Launching today, the globally accessible platform called 'FibreTrace Mapped' eliminates the barrier to transparency for producers, manufacturers, brands and retailers.
According to the Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index 2022, 50% of the world’s largest fashion brands disclose little or no information about their supply chain, and only 12% of brands worldwide publish any insights into their raw material suppliers. This is despite the rise in consumers, investors and policymakers calling for transparent supply chain mapping to help address ESG issues.
The shift in consumer consumption behaviours and growing demands for greater ethical and environmental responsibility has been a key driver for change.
According to a report by packaging brand Avery Dennison and research firm GWI, 60% of fashion consumers want more transparency about the production journey of their clothes, while more than 40% of consumers surveyed in the U.S., more than 50% in Europe, and almost 70% in China say they want access to more information about how their clothes were made.
FibreTrace CEO Shannon Mercer said the lack of accountability within the textile industry has left the door wide open for social and environmental neglect and misconduct.
“Brands have an obligation to look at their supply chain, identify issues, and address them,” Mercer said. “At FibreTrace, we believe that transparency shouldn’t cost the earth, so we decided to launch FibreTrace Mapped free of charge in the hope that we can encourage the industry to claim accountability and responsibility for their supply chains and be the change for a better future.”
Powered by Blockchain technology, FibreTrace Mapped provides a digital centralised chain of custody for unlimited users. It is accessible anywhere on any device due to cloud-based software, with the functionality to upload order and shipping documentation, and incorporate existing environmental and social compliance credentials.
FibreTrace Mapped is system agnostic and can integrate with various product and data management systems and tools, and allows users to set up their company profile, add colleagues, register their own sites, and invite partners across the supply chain.
FibreTrace said the platform works with any fibre, any material, any certification, any document, any data and any integration, in a secure system.
FibreTrace Verified, an included software, combines physical tracing technology with the digital platform to provide verification and authenticity of fibre.
The core of the FibreTrace Verified technology is a patented luminescent pigment that is embedded in raw fibres and is traced, verified and audited in real-time at each step of the global textile supply chain. This is achieved via a proprietary handheld FibreTrace Bluetooth Scanner that identifies and quantifies pigments in fibre, yarn, fabric and finished goods that send encrypted data into a secure blockchain and software that was specifically designed and engineered for the textile and apparel supply chain.
FibreTrace Verified is applicable to cotton, wool, recycled polyester and other synthetics, responsible viscose, linen and is under research and development for application to leather and other bast fibres.