CottonConnect and Haelixa partner two cutting-edge technologies to establish end-to-end digital and physical textile traceability
This week marks an exciting milestone as CottonConnect and Haelixa join forces to deliver comprehensive traceability around cotton for the first time, starting with lint from their pilot project in Rajasthan and Punjab, India.
Using CottonConnect’s digital traceability platform TraceBale and Haelixa’s DNA marker, it will allow cotton fibres to be fully traced using digital and physical traceability solutions. This will help ensure that the marked material is used to manufacture the finished product and is traceable in the supply chain.
During the project, the DNA marker is applied at the ginning stage; when the cotton fibre is separated from the seed, the lint cotton is sprayed with the DNA marker. Once the marker adheres to the fibre, all the material manufactured from that cotton can be tested at any point in the supply chain, proving that the same DNA-marked fibre was used to manufacture specific garments. It can then be digitally traced through CottonConnect’s proprietary software tool, TraceBale, which based on its ‘bottom-up’ data gathering approach, provides visibility to the cotton journey from the farm group to the finished product. The project aims to prove that traceability will create transparency in the value chain, support circularity, and validate any sustainability claims.
CottonConnect’s Associate Director – Technical Services, Pramod Sonune and Supply Chain Manager, Anil Kumar, with the first bale of cotton marked with DNA marker about to set off on its supply chain journey (May 2023)
Improving traceability has become a priority for retailers in the move towards a more sustainable and ethical apparel industry. Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect, said, “At CottonConnect, we’ve been developing traceability solutions for ten years now, including our digital tool TraceBale, which is enabling brands to build a granular view of their cotton supply. We’re delighted to see new methods of validating our work. The DNA marker is helping deliver an integrated platform that is the future for retailers seeking traceability solutions.”
Abdelkader Amouche, Commercial Director of Haelixa, said, “As the textile industry begins to focus more on responsible choices, we know there is no one size fits all solution. Leveraging digital and physical traceability together reduces the risk for manufacturers and brands. Testing for our markers in the supply chain provides forensic proof of the value chain, and adding TraceBale adds another level of security.”
About Haelixa
Haelixa Ltd. pioneers developing and commercializing physical product traceability solutions to ensure complete end-to-end supply-chain transparency, focusing on sustainably manufactured products, such as organic or recycled textiles. Based on DNA markers, the Haelixa technology is physically applied to the material and stays linked, providing a traceable physical fingerprint from producer to retail. For more information, please visit www.haelixa.com.
Visit the TraceBale website to learn more about its features.
