Lenzing will use blockchain technology to ensure that brands and consumers can track its Tencel products to verify that they come from sustainable sources. To this end the Austrian company will join the platform of the Hong Kong-based technology company Textile Genesis. Lenzing will carry out several pilot tests over the next few months involving partners along the entire value chain. Lenzing expects the platform to be fully operational as of 2020.

Lenzing’s bio-based fiber is called Tencel and is made from cellulose from wood. The blockchain technology is meant to establish and spread sustainability practices across its bio-based fiber supply chain. The supply chain transparency from wood to garment and home textiles will enable all customers and partners to identify Tencel fibers and the respective wood source in each production and distribution step. Thanks to a QR code on the final garment, consumers will be able to detect the origin of the clothes they intend to buy. With Lenzing Ecovero-branded fibers Lenzing was the frontrunner in physical traceability and is now entering the age of digital traceability.

Consumers increasingly want to understand the ingredients and suppliers of the products they buy, requesting a new level of transparency and traceability.