Traceability of recycled cotton content brings Chinese firm to Haelixa
Textile traceability solutions provider Haelixa is working with New Focus Textiles, a woven fabric and recycled fabric producer based in China.
Haelixa said the use of its traceability solutions would make it possible for New Focus Textiles “to provide forensic proof” of recycled cotton content across its textile-to-textile manufacturing operations.
It said this would mark a significant move towards evidence-based verification in recycled material sourcing, addressing what it called “one of the main credibility gaps” in the circular materials market.
DNA markers from Haelixa will now be applied directly to post-industrial and post-consumer waste, before shredding. The non-toxic markers stay intact through mechanical recycling. They serve as a permanent tag, Haelixa has explained, and cannot be removed or copied; they remain embedded through spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing.
At any point, the material can be tested in an accredited laboratory to confirm the origin of the cotton and verify the presence of recycled content. This method provides physical proof of the recycled fibre identity, going beyond certification schemes that rely on documentation and chain-of-custody declarations, Haelixa added.
“Recycled claims need solid evidence,” said Haelixa chief executive, Patrick Strumpf. “By marking textile waste, manufacturers can scientifically prove the presence of recycled content in new fibres, yarns or garments and secure customers’ trust.”
