The Traceability Playbook

What’s Next? Concluding thoughts from Madhava Venkatesh, CTO and Co-Founder of TrusTrace. The Traceability Playbook was written by Megan Doyle, Sustainable Fashion Journalist and Content Editor at TrusTrace. Key contributions from Liv Simpliciano, Fashion Revolution and James Crowley, Fashion For Good. The Managing Editor was Anja Sadock Head of Marketing at TrusTrace. Narrated by Megan Lozicki. Audiobook Production Supervised by Jocelyn Chan. Ready to take the next steps in your traceability journey? Check out www.trustrace.com for the Traceability Roadmap, the follow-up guide to this playbook that will show you how to successfully implement a traceability program. Thank you for listening!

Part 4 of 4: The Three Levels of Traceability We’ve covered the fundamentals of traceability, now we’re ready to dive into how you can actually achieve it. In this section, you’ll learn about how traceability can help you to achieve your sustainability goals by understanding the different methods for tracing your supply chain. It will cover: Manual vs. Digital Traceability Level One – Getting Started: 
Supplier Mapping Level Two – Building Your Understanding: Product Traceability Level Three – Compliance Ready: 
Material Traceability

Sustainability policies and initiatives have been commonplace for the last decade, but have failed to make any tangible dent in the industry’s environmental and social impact. This chapter looks at Sustainability Beyond the Corporate Level with commentary from Maeve Galvin of Fashion Revolution.

Communicating product-specific impact data to consumers is no mean feat — even the biggest brands in the world struggle to get it right. This is because brands are attempting to condense and simplify incredibly complex information, and lots of it. This chapter zooms into greenwashing with some tips on how to avoid from Fashion Revolution. It features an interview with Akhil Sivanandan from Green Story as we asked him about communicating product specific impact data.

This is the beginning of Part 3 of 4: The Business Drivers of Traceability Legislation is coming for the fashion industry. In 2022 alone, several new regulations and directives have been introduced, predominantly in the EU, to define parameters around marketing and labeling, due diligence and traceability, as well as sustainability reporting. Brands are facing increasing pressure to comply with a range of overlapping laws that differ from country to country, and even state to state in key markets like the U.S. Topics: The European Green Deal, AGEC, UFLPA, FABRIC Act

It is critical that investment in sustainability is used to improve the working conditions and infrastructure in facilities throughout the entire supply chain. This chapter delves into supplier investments and also features a letter from a supplier. Rounded off with a case study from Shimmy.

This chapter is authored by Fashion for Good. From their perspective on innovation, there are two main categories of traceability solutions: Traceability Platforms and Tracer Technologies. Based on the ESG and business relevance of traceability, the demand for supply chain traceability platforms is growing.

In recent years, certifications 
have grown in popularity as brands have faced increased levels of scrutiny over their sustainability claims. Certifications provide a tick of approval, which can signal to consumers that a brand is committed to investing in sustainability. This chapter also discusses Recyclable va Recycled, Misconceptions on materials, and has a case study on The Circular Fashion Partnership. Interviews: Paul Foulkes-Arellano from Circuthon Consulting and Ina Budde from circular.fashion

Most often, incorporating a percentage of eco-friendly materials is the defining feature of a sustainable product, so it makes sense that when consumers think about a sustainable product, environmental impact is top of mind. For businesses, introducing sustainable materials into their product offering is often at the core of their sustainability strategy. But defining which materials are sustainable and which are not isn’t as straightforward. There is no clear cut separation of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ materials — they all have benefits and drawbacks. It pays to be aware of the environmental and social impact concerns linked to the materials you choose for your business. This delves into the textile trends and materials most commonly used in the industry today.

The proliferation of auditing bodies and certifications attempting to define sustainability and social standards in the fashion industry has created a landscape that lacks a common language. In order to streamline, communicate, and optimize the data collected by different auditing groups, standardization is key.

This chapter features case studies from adidas and Gucci on Scaling Traceability. A 2019 McKinsey survey of sourcing executives found that 65% expected to achieve full traceability from fiber to store by 2025. To achieve this, not only do we need to see an ambitious rate of investment, but a complete system redesign that holds brands and retailers accountable for their commitments. According to the 2021 FTI, 32% of brands have permanent, year-round take-back schemes, but only 22% of brands disclose what happens to clothes received — i.e how much is resold locally, resold into other markets, downcycled, upcycled, recycled into new textiles. Increased transparency on what happens to clothes received through takeback schemes is needed to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Embracing traceability at scale means investing in the circular economy. To achieve an economy where little is wasted and clothing stays in use for longer, consumer adoption is crucial. Whether that’s buying secondhand and renting clothing, or disposing of clothing through take-back schemes and donation initiatives, there is no circular economy without the participation of the business sector, consumers, and governing bodies.

How will traceability trends and consumerism influence the Business Models of the Future? This chapter takes a look at case studies from nuuly on clothing rental, Reflaunt for resale and the second-hand market, and I:CO for recycling of fabrics.

We take a look into the Traceability Trends which begin at 2015 and will discuss what we anticipate up until 2027. This includes: the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, EU taxonomy, compliance, green bonds, waste reduction and consumer behaviour, etc.

If you’re a fashion industry professional, by now you’ve undoubtedly heard of traceability. Whether you’re well on your way to achieving traceability within your business, or you’re just starting the discovery phase, it’s never been more important to keep on top of this ever-evolving, business-critical topic. This chapter discusses the business case for Traceability & Transparency, and all the actors present in the Traceability Ecosystem.

The Traceability Playbook is now available as an audiobook series. This production is by TrusTrace. Written by Megan Doyle and narrated by Megan Lozicki. The TrusTrace Traceability Playbook is a complete guide to achieving supply chain traceability in the fashion industry, written in collaboration with Fashion Revolution and Fashion for Good. Tapping the expertise of industry thought-leaders, the playbook outlines the fundamentals of traceability, highlights incoming legislation, provides a voice to suppliers, and shines a light on traceability tech innovations reshaping the industry. In the Three Levels of Traceability, discover stepby-step instructions for achieving traceability in your business, no matter where you are in your sustainability journey. The Playbook epitomizes the TrusTrace mission to accelerate sustainable transformation of the fashion industry.

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