Focused on fronting a new era of transparency, honesty and
accountability, FibreTrace’s mission is to ensure that every member of the
textile supply chain has the ability to take direct accountability to reduce
the environmental impact of the global industry. In doing so, the company aims
to ultimately provide the consumer the opportunity to choose a transparent and
sustainable supply chain to follow and purchase from. In a conversation with Fibre2Fashion,
CEO Shannon Mercer talks about transparency across the textile value
chain.
When and how did the idea for FibreTrace happen?
FibreTrace was founded in 2018 when we were connected with Paul Stenning, the founder behind our technology, to learn more about what traceability opportunities were available for the cotton industry. We built FibreTrace with a team of supply chain experts individually and through our own individual foresight after realising that even the most conscious suppliers were unable to guarantee complete custody of supply, and recognised an emerging conversation of transparency in the supply chain.
FibreTrace was created as a solution to enable 20/20 vision of a product from raw fibre to the finished garment and beyond into reuse and recycle and has been in a period of rapid growth since the technology was founded in 2018. We are grateful to the early adopters who have supported by way of contributing to ongoing research and development, piloting the technology, and providing their invaluable feedback. We appreciate the trust and future-focused vision of our early supporters who have carried us through countless milestones.
We are looking forward to the year ahead following the recent launch of FibreTrace MAPPED to the industry free of charge, and continue to pursue global supply chain traceability.
Why is transparency important? Why are consumers and brands demanding it?
You can’t solve a problem you are not aware of. It is only with complete transparency, understanding the impact of raw fibre production on emissions, and ensuring that the claims made on environmental targets and individual products can be authenticated with tangible evidence that change for the better can take place.
Pressure has been building over many years from consumers, legislation and regulation, and internal factors for transparent supply chains as an essential strategy to improve the impact of the global textile industry environmentally and socially. With recognition of this, demand for traceability in the fashion industry is growing.
Social and human rights movements, combined with the implementation and changes of legislation around supply chain transparency, sustainability and accountability mean that organisations need to act and implement processes around traceability. Surprisingly, according to Avery Dennison’s December 2021 Digital Consumer Behaviour Report, fifty per cent of the world’s largest fashion brands continue to disclose little or no information about their supply chain and only twelve per cent of brands worldwide publish any insights into their raw material suppliers.
The shift in consumer consumption behaviours and growing demands for greater ethical and environmental responsibility has been a key driver for change and our hope with FibreTrace is to enable the industry to take a step forward towards a future that champions sustainable and ethical creation and consumption.
How does FibreTrace work? How do you ensure transparency across the supply chain?
FibreTrace gives textile brands and suppliers 20/20 vision of their supply chain at every step from raw fibre to store, providing brands and retailers with true custody of supply, the ability to quantify and audit fibre content, and access primary impact data for natural and man-made solutions.
At the core of the FibreTrace VERIFIED technology is a patented luminescent pigment that is embedded in raw fibres which 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 secure blockchain software that was specifically engineered for the textile and apparel supply chain.
As an advanced traceability technology provider, FibreTrace can empower brands to accurately trace, validate, share, and promote their fibre choices. It is only through the power of this transparency that FibreTrace can assist the global fashion and textile industry in reducing its environmental impact.
In addition to our FibreTrace VERIFIED service, we have recently launched FibreTrace MAPPED, which is our new digital chain of custody tool which maps the global textile supply chain from fibre to retail, allowing brands, manufacturers and fibre producers to power transparency across all materials today.
Version one of FibreTrace MAPPED empowers users to visually map global supply chains, upload product information, purchase orders, shipping documentation and certifications – creating the chain of custody. Users can complete digital audits registered on the blockchain to effectively record the full production pathway. Brands utilising the tool have the option to share the supply chain details behind each product with the end consumer, empowering responsible purchase decisions.
How long can the fibres marked with FibreTrace be traced?
The patented FibreTrace VERIFIED pigment stays within the garment for life. Fibres are marked with FibreTrace in early-stage processing, which enables tracing throughout the supply chain from source to store, and beyond – through upcycling, recycling and even incineration.
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
