Birla’s GreenTrack™ powered by blockchain technology tracks ‘forest to fashion’
For a long time, the only information provided to consumers about a garment’s provenance was a “Made-In” label with minimal details. This may have been sufficient in the past, but consumers today will not accept this level of opacity. They want to know exactly where and how the goods they buy were produced, based on raw materials.
“Sustainability in textiles is a growing trend in the fashion industry as consumers are more conscious and aware of their environmental impact,” said Vaishali Kamble, Assistant General Manager, Business Development at Birla Cellulose. “Consumers are changing their behavior to buy and wear clothes that are sustainable and kind to the environment.”
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Birla Cellulose’s operations focus on sustainably sourced and produced man-made cellulose fiber products certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). With this in mind, the company’s value chain partners have requested revised documentation to show that the viscose garments being produced are actually produced from Birla Cellulose FSC fibre.
To meet this demand, Birla Cellulose designed the internal traceability tracking platform GreenTrack™. This platform captures complete traceability across the complex value chain – from the origin of the mass source to the final garment – and shares this information transparently through blockchain technology.
“The textile industry is considered to be self-reliant because the products at each stage are used as raw material for the next stage of production,” Kamble said. “However, the process of tracking each step of the clothing manufacturing process – from the procurement of the raw materials to the factories where these materials are made into garments – was missing.”
GreenTrack™ starts at the ingredient level. In collaboration with its wood pulp supplier, Birla Cellulose shares information about the specific sustainably managed forest from which the wood was sourced. For wood-based materials, it is crucial to be able to prove that the supply did not come from ancient or endangered forests identified by nature conservation and environmental organisations.
Birla has developed a proprietary DNA tracker that is embedded in fiber at the manufacturing stage. The tracer remains intact on the fiber throughout the supply chain, allowing it to be traced in the value chain at all subsequent stages of the production process – including yarn, fabric and garment production. For verification of the tracer, brands, garment manufacturers and factories can send a sample – either an entire garment or two meters of fabric – to Birla’s laboratories in India and China for testing.
“Current chain-of-custody processes fall short in physical or material authentication, which can lead to false claims and procurement of fibers and materials with uncontrolled environmental risks,” said Tiana Quinny, head of fiber traceability at Birla Cellulose. “GreenTrack™ provides real-time access to the raw material journey at every stage of the manufacturing process across the complex textile value chain. The technology was built to have dual provenance tracking: value chain traceability and source verification through a molecular tracer. The traceability feature improves value chain accountability, thereby encouraging brands to take use the technology.”
Brands can then share this information with consumers at retail. “GreenTrack™ provides a platform for traceability and transparency that helps strengthen brand and consumer connections,” said Quinny. “The consumer can scan the code and get complete visibility from forest to fashion, helping them choose the right product and expand the use of Aditya Birla Group’s cellulosic fibers.”
A range of sustainable Birla fibers are traceable via GreenTrack™, such as Livaeco viscose, Livaeco modal, circular Liva Reviva and high strength Birla Excel.
In addition to sustainability, GreenTrack™ gives brands complete visibility and real-time tracking of their orders and shipments.
Since its introduction in 2019, GreenTrack™ has grown to include over 90 active brands and around 1,400 value chain partners registered and using the platform in India, China, Turkey and Bangladesh. For supply chain partners and brands, GreenTrack™ is available at no additional cost.
GreenTrack™ provides valuable authentication throughout the product lifecycle. “A critical step today is to verify that the materials used are sourced sustainably, treated responsibly and can provide the information needed to ensure value can be recovered at the end of their use,” Kamble said.
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