From the Sector

Reset
3 results
Photo: Haelixa AG
29.09.2022

Haelixa: Egyptian cotton products traceable thanks to DNA marker

Within the scope of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative “The Sustainability Pledge”, to improve transparency and traceability for sustainable garment and footwear supply chains, the Swiss company Haelixa traces Egyptian cotton from the source up to premium shirts.

The UNECE and United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) has been developing over the period 2019-2022 policy recommendations, implementation guidelines, a call to action, and a traceability toolbox including blockchain and DNA tracing solutions, which has been implemented in few different textile supply chains. Haelixa is part of the group of experts that develops such policy recommendations and conducts projects with key industry players to set traceability benchmarks and later develop them into standards.

Within the scope of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative “The Sustainability Pledge”, to improve transparency and traceability for sustainable garment and footwear supply chains, the Swiss company Haelixa traces Egyptian cotton from the source up to premium shirts.

The UNECE and United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) has been developing over the period 2019-2022 policy recommendations, implementation guidelines, a call to action, and a traceability toolbox including blockchain and DNA tracing solutions, which has been implemented in few different textile supply chains. Haelixa is part of the group of experts that develops such policy recommendations and conducts projects with key industry players to set traceability benchmarks and later develop them into standards.

Fashion brands are often responsible for complex global value chains and traceability is the needed tool to enable trust, transparency and credible sustainability. The magnitude of the supply chain traceability challenge can be overwhelming for brands, but the UNECE initiative framework facilitates the alignment with suppliers, provides the necessary guidance and the needed tools, with Haelixa as physical traceability provider.

To make the premium shirts traceable, Haelixa has developed a DNA marker to label the raw material, premium Egyptian cotton. The DNA marker has been applied as fine spray to GIZA 96 lint cotton in Borg Al Arab, Egypt and used to produce the finest fabric by Swiss manufacturer Weba. Once applied to the fibers, Haelixa’s DNA markers stay safely embedded into the material and withstand the industrial processing, ensuring traceability from the source until the finished garment. Samples of lint cotton, yarn, and fabric at different steps were verified with a test based on PCR, and the correct DNA marker was detected, thereby enabling the identification of the premium product, of its origin and the specific supply chain. The forensic data obtained were recorded on a blockchain system provided by UNECE. The marked fabric was used to make Hugo Boss cotton dress shirts. As one of the leading premium fashion brands and partner to the UNECE project, Hugo Boss is responsible for a complex global value chain and strives for high sustainability standards and is looking at traceability options.

“In cases like this one, where the material is of the highest quality and the product is shipped from one facility to another for premium processing, adding physical traceability is critical to ensure that the origin, quality and processing claims can be backed up" says Gediminas Mikutis, CTO and co-founder at Haelixa.

Maria Teresa Pisani, Economic Affairs Officer and Project Lead at UNECE, emphasized: “Traceability and transparency are crucial elements to protect environmental, social, and human rights along global value chains. At UNECE, we aim to enhance traceability approaches by exploring new and innovative solutions that help identify and address negative impacts in the fashion industry.”

09.06.2022

GFA: New sustainability actions at Global Fashion Summit

The Global Fashion Summit was hosted by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) in Copenhagen on 7-8 June. The event was centred around the theme ‘Alliances for a New Era’ and convened over 900 leaders from brands, retailers, NGOs, policy, manufacturers, and innovators to drive urgent action.

Attendees heard from 112 speakers including HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark; Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability & institutional Affairs Officer, Kering; Leo Rongone, CEO, Bottega Veneta; Thierry Andretta, CEO, Mulberry; Lily Cole, Author & Podcaster on climate solutions and Advisor for UNECE; Nicolaj Reffstrup, Founder, GANNI; Maximillian Bittner, CEO, Vestiaire Collective; Paul Polmon, Co-Author, Net Positive; Bobby Kolade, Fashion Designer; Halide Alagöz, Chief Product Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation; Aditi Mayer, Sustainable fashion blogger and labor rights activist; Lindita Xhaferi Salihu, Fashion Charter Lead, UNFCCC; and more.

Multiple companies, such as GFA, Ralph Lauren, Apparel Impact Institute, Fashion Revolution, GANNI, TrusTrace and Mulberry, chose to announce their latest sustainability measures at the landmark event.

The Global Fashion Summit was hosted by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) in Copenhagen on 7-8 June. The event was centred around the theme ‘Alliances for a New Era’ and convened over 900 leaders from brands, retailers, NGOs, policy, manufacturers, and innovators to drive urgent action.

Attendees heard from 112 speakers including HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark; Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability & institutional Affairs Officer, Kering; Leo Rongone, CEO, Bottega Veneta; Thierry Andretta, CEO, Mulberry; Lily Cole, Author & Podcaster on climate solutions and Advisor for UNECE; Nicolaj Reffstrup, Founder, GANNI; Maximillian Bittner, CEO, Vestiaire Collective; Paul Polmon, Co-Author, Net Positive; Bobby Kolade, Fashion Designer; Halide Alagöz, Chief Product Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation; Aditi Mayer, Sustainable fashion blogger and labor rights activist; Lindita Xhaferi Salihu, Fashion Charter Lead, UNFCCC; and more.

Multiple companies, such as GFA, Ralph Lauren, Apparel Impact Institute, Fashion Revolution, GANNI, TrusTrace and Mulberry, chose to announce their latest sustainability measures at the landmark event.

Innovation Forum connected fashion companies with sustainable solution providers
This year’s Summit also presented an Innovation Forum, enabling small and large companies to meet with 24 sustainable solution providers – equipping them with the tools to turn words into meaningful actions. More than 300 facilitated business meetings between fashion companies and sustainable solution providers took place during the two days of the Summit.

22.04.2022

Haelixa marks and traces sustainable cotton from Costach and Creditex in Peru

Under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative to enhance transparency and traceability in the garment and footwear industry, Haelixa realizes a pilot project with Costach Cooperative and Peruvian textile company Creditex to give sustainable rural cotton producers in Peru more visibility in the value chain.

Under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative to enhance transparency and traceability in the garment and footwear industry, Haelixa realizes a pilot project with Costach Cooperative and Peruvian textile company Creditex to give sustainable rural cotton producers in Peru more visibility in the value chain.

In 2019, UNECE and United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) have set up an initiative to drive transparency and traceability for sustainable value chains in the garment and footwear industry. The initiative is jointly implemented with the International Trade Centre (ITC) with financial support by the European Union. Haelixa is proud to be part of the group of experts that develops policy recommendations, traceability standards, and conducts projects to set traceability benchmarks. With the support of the +Cotton Project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) a pilot is being realized in this context to mark and trace the finest Pima cotton for Creditex directly at the gin in Piura, Peru. Haelixa’s DNA marker connects the actual lint cotton to the entry on a blockchain system provided by UNECE. The Haelixa technology ensures that the information about the product’s origin and the journey of the product along the value chain is always safely embedded into the product itself. The marked cotton will be used to make exclusive pajamas sets for Cat´s Pajamas. DNA traceability will enable the verification of the premium origin of Peruvian Pima cotton in the final garment produced using sustainable practices by family farmers associated with the Costach cooperative.

Costach is the main cooperative of cotton farmers in Peru. The cooperative consists of 5,200 family farmers in the Piura region, producing mostly extra-long fiber of Pima Cotton. Since 2017, the +Cotton project has been supporting the farmers with training on sustainable practices and has been providing technical assistance for improved markets access.

Creditex is vertically integrated from cotton ginning to fine thread, up to the production of high quality apparel for international premium brands. The company takes social responsibility and environmental stewardship very seriously and therefore makes a strong partner for this project, empowering the cotton family farmers that hold the majority of cotton production in Peru.

Source:

Haelixa Ltd