ZURICH — January 17, 2022 — Haelixa and Soorty, one of Pakistan’s largest vertically integrated denim manufacturers, are pleased to announce the start of their collaboration with the goal of traceability using DNA markers. Haelixa’s innovative technology helps Soorty to support claims related to the use of recycled cotton in their denim products. This unique collaboration opens the door to significant, new business opportunities for both companies and will enable them to meet customers’ needs on a greater scale.
Both companies share an approach that combines technology and innovation to foster sustainability in the denim industry. Haelixa’s DNA marker allows tracing from fibre (virgin or recycled) to finished garment. The company has developed a unique DNA marker to be able to identify Soorty’s recycled cotton. The marker is solved in liquid and then applied to textile waste before mechanical recycling takes place in the spinning mill in Pakistan. Spot checks are done with the intermediate products as well as tests with the final garment to prove that the product indeed contains the recycled cotton. The test is based on highly scalable PCR technology that is 100% reliable and has forensic validity.
Being able to prove its claims is crucial for Soorty as the company has a strong focus on sustainability, and recycling is a major pillar of its sustainability strategy with a current recycling proportion of around 23%. The new waste segregation system is expected to further improve the recycling proportion by another 10% yearly.
Haelixa will also offer Soorty’s clients the use of its label “Marked & Traced by Haelixa” for garments. So Soorty customers can inform the end consumer about their supply chain transparency efforts using a solid technological traceability solution. The label can be complemented with a QR code linking to a dedicate landing page, where the brands can bring their product story to life and enable customers to access supply chain and product verification data.
Mr. Mansoor Bilal, VP Marketing Research and Innovation, at Soorty says about the future of the cooperation: “With the emerging concerns for environment, Soorty as a responsible stakeholder of society has pledged to make its manufacturing process more sustainable, transparent and traceable. After taking variables and standards into consideration, we are pleased to announce that we have collaborated with Haelixa, the pioneer of sustainability solution. Haelixa will help us attain the goal of traceability via DNA marker, which is a novel technology to trace the roots of finished goods. Irrefutably, Haelixa and Soorty’s partnership will prove to be successful in the journey of sustainability.”
Michela Puddu, Co-Founder and CEO of Haelixa comments:
“With recycling becoming a major trend, there is also an alarming number of unsubstantiated claims related to the use of recycled fibre in garments. To differentiate and re-build consumer trust more and more manufacturers and brands use markers to be able to authenticate recycled fibres in the final garment. ”
Posted: January 17, 2022
Source: Haelixa Ltd. / Soorty