Role of traceability in attaining sustainable textile and dye production

Sustainability is the avoidance of depletion of natural resources in order to maintain environmental harmony.

Pursuing sustainable development is essential. It helps us meet our needs without hampering the resources that will be kept back for the future generations. Sustainable development is needed and should be pursued in every sector. The textile industry has seen an unusual demand for sustainable products from consumers. This is why, manufacturers are taking up unique initiatives to meet their needs.

The fabric and the dye sector is a major contributor to the making of hazardous products and the entire supply chain here plays a vital role by adding its bit. This chain consists of multiple stakeholders, solvent dyes manufacturers, fibre makers, dyestuff industry, apparel industries, chemical processors etc. An effective implementation of sustainable techniques along with a functional traceability system should be adopted by every player to ensure that all the aspects of sustainability are followed.

So let us see what are the pillars of the textile sustainability and how does traceability play a vital role here:

Ecological pillar: The ecological aspect can be divided into 3 phases, pre production, production and post production. Chemicals utilized, energy consumed, water exploited and methods of recycling help define how ecologically sustainable the entire process was. A large amount of water is consumed by the dye sector, be it, inkjet dyes, solvent dyes or reactive dyes each manufacturer is a water user and a polluter. Number of eco labels have been established in the textile sector but compiling all the information in one label is extremely challenging. This is where, Traceability comes into the picture. It is a tool that can potentially help in communicating product related information and thus enhances trust since the information can be traced back to the original source.

Societal pillar: A rise in the competition is the reason retailers try their best to provide high quality products at low prices. It has been observed in the past that certain textile suppliers have indulged in malicious activities including marginal salary of the workers, child labour etc. In this context, traceability helps maintaining transparency. The unique traceability number can be used to track all the actions taken and retrieve any product data.

Economic pillar: Economic sustainability is particularly required during fierce international competition. The Indian textile manufacturers should employ traceability to stay in the running. Traceability particularly benefits enterprises with information beyond their organizational scope which aids them with the better control and understanding of the supply chain. This includes better inventory maintenance, reduced stock levels, demand–production balance, and better visibility of supplies in the supply chain.

A major part of the supply chain, the dye sector is a vital contributor to pollution and should inculcate traceability in its routine. This will ensure smooth and friendly production of dyes, be it reactive dyes, solvent dyes, acid dyes or inkjet dyes. Alliance Organics is an Indian manufacturer that exports sustainable dyes globally. USA, China, Russia, Indonesia and Brazil are its major supporters.