Traceability with Haelixa

The fashion industry is infamous for its vast and fragmented supply chains, which pose significant labor and environmental compliance risks. For many cotton farmers, business as usual means poverty, forced labor, and exposure to harmful pesticides. This is the stark reality highlighted in the newly published Cotton and Labour paper, hosted on the Sustainable Cotton Hub . The paper provides up-to-date insights into these pressing issues and places them within the broader context of industry challenges.

Without a solid traceability framework, companies may inadvertently become complicit in forced labor, facing severe financial and reputational hazards and dealing with fraudulent and counterfeit products. With increasing regulatory oversight, implementing comprehensive traceability solutions is more critical than ever to protect the integrity of supply chains. Let's explores how technology and new EU legislation can be pivotal in ending this destructive ‘business as usual’ approach.

Traceability as the Gateway to Sustainability

Adopting traceability is not merely about mitigating risks; it represents a strategic move towards operational excellence and market differentiation. From raw material sourcing to the final product, perfect traceability lays the groundwork for authentic sustainability claims and aligns brands with shifting consumer expectations and regulatory landscapes. However, achieving comprehensive visibility across all product lifecycles necessitates innovative technological solutions.

As consumers and investors increasingly prioritize ethical practices and sustainability, and with tightening legislation, the pressure for transparency in supply chains has reached unprecedented levels. According to McKinsey, there has been a 28% cumulative growth in sales for products with ESG-related claims over the past five years, highlighting the positive correlation between sustainable practices and consumer demand.

Advancing Traceability with Haelixa’s DNA Solution

Haelixa stands out as a pioneer in the traceability landscape with its innovative DNA-based marking technology, which is revolutionizing the supply chain industry. By embedding unique, forensic DNA tags into materials, Haelixa provides irrefutable proof of origin and authenticity throughout the entire supply chain. This ensures that every step of the process, from raw material to finished product, is transparent and verifiable.

Haelixa guarantees end-to-end traceability, offering brands robust evidence to verify their sustainability claims. This cutting-edge solution eliminates fraud risks and empowers brands to communicate their sustainability credentials confidently and assertively. Haelixa's adaptable technology ensures that sustainability claims are not just marketing slogans but verifiable facts. Join the movement towards a transparent and sustainable future with Haelixa.

Haelixa's DNA-based markers offer unparalleled benefits for ensuring supply chain transparency and sustainability. Our markers are applied without altering the composition of the final product and can be easily integrated into existing processes or machinery. Additionally, they enable the marking of pre- or post-consumer waste.

Building Transparency through Partnerships

At Haelixa, our strategy revolves around delivering the best possible solution for the customer. Therefore, we are building robust partnerships and fostering collaborations across the fashion supply chain. We have a strong track record of working closely with influential brands and companies, ranging from high-end to fast fashion houses. We partner with textile manufacturers and cotton growers. Our experience spanning several years in the industry has enabled us to develop comprehensive commercial programs with some of the world's premier brands, retailers, and manufacturers globally.

Supporting Compliance with CSDDD and FLR

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR) are crucial for promoting ethical business practices within the EU. Adopted in 2024, these regulations require companies to identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts throughout their supply chains and ban products made with forced labor from the EU market. Haelixa's traceability solutions help businesses comply with these stringent requirements by providing detailed supply chain data and ensuring transparent and ethical sourcing practices.

"The EU business landscape is rapidly changing as sustainability regulations gain momentum within the European parliament and are enforced by member states. Compliance with these regulations has become imperative; non-compliance will lead to exclusion from the European market." Marwa Zamaray , EU Climate Pact Ambassador