CottonConnect announces wider availability of innovative traceability platform TraceBale as focus on transparency continues to grow
CottonConnect announces that its innovative traceability platform, TraceBale, is now available as a tool to all within the apparel industry to help brands address the growing challenges around trust and transparency in the supply chain.
The only digital platform of its kind to offer complete farm-group-to-end-garment manufacturing traceability, TraceBale has been ten years in the making. It builds from CottonConnect’s in-depth work with retailers and suppliers to understand what takes place at each stage of the supply chain.
Already adopted by 18 retailers, including The White Company, Mark’s, C&A, the wider availability of TraceBale will help more businesses to provide the details they need to substantiate sustainability and marketing claims, ultimately improving trust with customers.
Traceability is becoming increasingly important for the industry as incoming regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in the EU, will enforce stricter laws on sustainability claims and require brands to take responsibility for the impacts in their value chains. While many brands aspire to provide 100% traceable cotton in their supply chains by 2030, their ability to do so can be limited by a lack of visibility about what is actually happening.
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect said, “The cotton supply chain is complex as cotton goes through multiple stages and can be traded many times, often across borders, before a finished product reaches the store. Our expertise in the sustainable cotton sector and close relationships with cotton farmers and brands have enabled us to produce a traceability solution that is customisable to retailers’ needs, helping them reflect the story of a product with clarity and confidence. We’re proud of the role TraceBale can play in building a more sustainable cotton industry that is fairer for all.”
Through collaborations with partners including DNA marker provider Haelixa, one of the most innovative elements of TraceBale is its ability to combine digital traceability with physical traceability. Its DNA marking technology helps capture all relevant data and ensure the marked material is in the supply chain and used for manufacturing the finished product. It also enables brands to track right back to the source of their raw materials, including tracking last-mile delivery, from farm groups to gins to spinners.
Cat Lee, Head of Ethics and Sustainability, The White Company said, “TraceBale is helping us with our traceability requirement for our supply chain in Egypt. With our ongoing REEL Sustainable Cotton Programme with CottonConnect in Egypt, TraceBale is mapping the journey of our raw material from farms to fabric through various stakeholders, making it completely transparent. We are able to have a clear picture of linkages at each stage along with their challenges, which are easier to predict now. The team has been very professional and supportive during the onboarding process and quick with providing request services. We are pleased with the services offered in the first year of our partnership and look forward to many more years in future.”
Iain Summers, VP of Purchasing, Innovation & Product Development, Mark’s said, ”TraceBale provides end-to-end product traceability, helping us track from fibre to the finished product. TraceBale is the digital traceability platform that allows us complete supply chain visibility with fibre data. The team is great to work with and provides excellent support to all processors, starting with a smooth onboarding process and then regular online training.”
TraceBale is now available as a standalone solution to all within the apparel sector. It is also available as part of all CottonConnect’s sustainable and regenerative REEL farmer programmes, ensuring that they create the right outcomes – not only for farmers and their communities, but for the planet. To find out more about the technology and offering of TraceBale, visit https://www.tracebale.com/
The news was published in the EcoTextile, Just Style, TEXtalks, Hindu Business Line publications.
The only digital platform of its kind to offer complete farm-group-to-end-garment manufacturing traceability, TraceBale has been ten years in the making. It builds from CottonConnect’s in-depth work with retailers and suppliers to understand what takes place at each stage of the supply chain.
Already adopted by 18 retailers, including The White Company, Mark’s, C&A, the wider availability of TraceBale will help more businesses to provide the details they need to substantiate sustainability and marketing claims, ultimately improving trust with customers.
Traceability is becoming increasingly important for the industry as incoming regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in the EU, will enforce stricter laws on sustainability claims and require brands to take responsibility for the impacts in their value chains. While many brands aspire to provide 100% traceable cotton in their supply chains by 2030, their ability to do so can be limited by a lack of visibility about what is actually happening.
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect said, “The cotton supply chain is complex as cotton goes through multiple stages and can be traded many times, often across borders, before a finished product reaches the store. Our expertise in the sustainable cotton sector and close relationships with cotton farmers and brands have enabled us to produce a traceability solution that is customisable to retailers’ needs, helping them reflect the story of a product with clarity and confidence. We’re proud of the role TraceBale can play in building a more sustainable cotton industry that is fairer for all.”
Through collaborations with partners including DNA marker provider Haelixa, one of the most innovative elements of TraceBale is its ability to combine digital traceability with physical traceability. Its DNA marking technology helps capture all relevant data and ensure the marked material is in the supply chain and used for manufacturing the finished product. It also enables brands to track right back to the source of their raw materials, including tracking last-mile delivery, from farm groups to gins to spinners.
Cat Lee, Head of Ethics and Sustainability, The White Company said, “TraceBale is helping us with our traceability requirement for our supply chain in Egypt. With our ongoing REEL Sustainable Cotton Programme with CottonConnect in Egypt, TraceBale is mapping the journey of our raw material from farms to fabric through various stakeholders, making it completely transparent. We are able to have a clear picture of linkages at each stage along with their challenges, which are easier to predict now. The team has been very professional and supportive during the onboarding process and quick with providing request services. We are pleased with the services offered in the first year of our partnership and look forward to many more years in future.”
Iain Summers, VP of Purchasing, Innovation & Product Development, Mark’s said, ”TraceBale provides end-to-end product traceability, helping us track from fibre to the finished product. TraceBale is the digital traceability platform that allows us complete supply chain visibility with fibre data. The team is great to work with and provides excellent support to all processors, starting with a smooth onboarding process and then regular online training.”
TraceBale is now available as a standalone solution to all within the apparel sector. It is also available as part of all CottonConnect’s sustainable and regenerative REEL farmer programmes, ensuring that they create the right outcomes – not only for farmers and their communities, but for the planet. To find out more about the technology and offering of TraceBale, visit https://www.tracebale.com/
The news was published in the EcoTextile, Just Style, TEXtalks, Hindu Business Line publications.
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