Lenzing presents first blockchain pilot project

Lenzing is carrying out further pilot tests over the next few months involving partners along the entire value chain and expects the platform to be fully operational as of 2020, said the company in a press release.

A baseline survey on EU consumer attitudes to sustainability and supply chain transparency in the fashion industry conducted by Ipsos Mori in October 2018 shows that a large majority of consumers wants brands to disclose their supply chain. The blockchain technology enables brands and consumers to identify Tencel branded fibres across each production and distribution step from fibre-to-retail of the finished garment or home textiles. The technology also allows consumers to verify the garment composition and the underlying textile supply chain at the point of sale, simply by scanning the barcode with a mobile device.

"Together with TextileGenesis we pursue the ambitious goal to achieve an unparalleled level of transparency for fashion brands and consumers. We will use blockchain technology to maximise the digital traceability of fibres, thus making an important contribution to green up the fashion industry," said Stefan Doboczky, chief executive officer of the Lenzing Group. "This strong belief in and commitment to sustainability will support the business with Tencel fibres."

In an industry's first, Lenzing issued blockchain based Tencel fibrecoins to its supply chain partners in direct relation to physical shipments. These digital tokens serve as an authentication mechanism, against any adulteration and provides secure digital chain-of-custody across the entire textile value chain. Recognising that data integrity and ease of use are critical, the supply chain players conducted transactions through the data upload mechanism on the platform. To ensure real-world complexity, a total of 49 distinct garment stock-keeping unit (~25000 pieces), of Chicks, were tracked on the digital platform from fibres up to retail.

"This is an important milestone for the apparel industry. Our focus is to drive meaningful step-change in an industry where less than 5 per cent of top 250 apparel brands can track their garments back to the fibre origin," said Amit Gautam, CEO & founder of TextileGenesis.

The Lenzing Group is a world market leader in specialty fibres made from the renewable raw material wood. As an innovation leader, Lenzing is a partner of global textile and nonwoven manufacturers and drives many new technological developments.

The Lenzing Group's high-quality fibers form the basis for a variety of textile applications ranging from elegant ladies clothing to versatile denims and high-performance sports clothing. Due to their consistent high quality, their biodegradability and compostability Lenzing fibres are also highly suitable for hygiene products and agricultural applications. (PC)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India