DNA-Driven Traceability System for a More Sustainable Textile Industry

The Turkish start-up DNACotton is one of the five finalists in the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2024, focusing on “Innovations in Sustainable Chemistry for Textiles” – Next week they will pitch their ideas at the ISC3 Investor Forum as part of the Impact Festival in Frankfurt.

As concerns grow regarding production methods, waste of resources and the fast fashion, consumers increasingly seek transparency about the origins of their clothing, the manufacturing processes involved and the materials utilized. Achieving seamless traceability from raw material sourcing to retail, along with effective monitoring, presents significant challenges for the textile sector. DNACottons’s groundbreaking DNABarkod technology offers a viable solution. This blockchain-based traceability system employs genetic labeling of products throughout various production stages. Each raw material is assigned a unique genetic identifier, enabling clear identification at any point along the value chain.

Secure your ticket for the Impact Festival here and experience Polybion's contribution to Sustainable Chemistry live.

The DNA-based labeling system is integrated directly into the textile product. The nano particles used in DNABarkod are created through biotechnological methods and are safe for health, being colorless, odorless, environmentally friendly and free from genetically modified organisms. Additionally, the team had designed a software solution along with a robust cloud system that links a QR code on the product to the genetic code of the DNA nanoparticle. Throughout the product’s lifecycle, this QR code is scanned at various points to track the product’s journey, from transportation to handling and retail sale. A case study conducted with textile company in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, has demonstrated the effectiveness of this blockchain-based traceability system in a jeans recycling chain in the same region. Consequently, this home-grown start-up is revitalizing an industry in a region significantly impacted by the 2023 earthquake disaster, which is currently facing a challenging reconstruction phase.

DNACotton has made a significant advancement in achieving 100% traceability within the textile supply chain, leading to its participation in the €25,000 Innovation Challenge 2024 organized by the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3). The 23-member international jury of experts nominated the start-up as one of 5 finalists for its contribution to Sustainable Chemistry. They will pitch their ideas at the ISC3 Investor Forum, which will take place this year as part of the Impact Festival on October 30 and 31 in Frankfurt. The Innovation Challenge is part of the annual Investor Forum, with which the ISC3 is bringing together international start-ups, investors, scientists and decision-makers for the sixth time. This year, the central question of the international competition for start-ups worldwide was: “Which innovative ideas in Sustainable Chemistry have the potential to improve the textile sector?” More than 50 start-ups from 30 countries applied. Their answers range from environmentally friendly production, alternative business models and materials to recycling and innovative tools that make a significant contribution to the integrity of the industry, such as DNACotton.

The synthetic DNA double verification system provides a superior level of anti-counterfeiting security compared to other traceability technologies like RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). RFID typically relies on QR codes or barcodes that are physically affixed to products, which can be easily replicated or modified. The approach developed by DNACotton involves applying DNA particles with unique sequence to a source, such as textile product, ensuring the integrity of the entire system. This technique facilitates the flow of information throughout the entire process, starting from cotton – the initial raw material – up to the final product. When a QR code is scanned, it simultaneously transfers this information to the security center’s cloud system. In cases where internet connectivity is unavailable, the system retains DNA/QR code matches locally and updates the cloud system with new information once the device is back online. The data gathered and stored by this technology platform allows for the analysis of environmental and social indicators.

This innovation offers numerous advantages, extending beyond just customer benefits. It empowers companies to implement statistical process control and analysis, significantly enhancing quality assurance efforts. By monitoring the supply chain and identifying inefficiencies, valuable insights can be gained to optimize the production process. Furthermore, the dual verification system facilitates the rapid tracing and identification of products, which is crucial in situations such as product recalls.

“DNACotton’s innovation is a major step towards the clear identifiability of a product along the entire supply chain and thus makes an important contribution to a more sustainable textile industry,” says Dr. Alexis Bazzanella, Director of the ISC3 Innovation Hub. The start-up impressively demonstrates how Sustainable Chemistry can play a decisive role in the transformation towards transparent, safer and more resource-efficient textile production.

The other finalists of the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2024 and their contributions to the topic “Innovations in Sustainable Chemistry for Textiles” are:

Schutzen (India): There is a more sustainable way! With bio-based and biogradable textile and leather chemicals.

Renasens (Sweden): How to turn textile waste into new resources for more sustainable future of the fashion industry.

Dimpora (Switzerland): Revolutionary textile membrane for a more sustainable outdoor clothing industry.

Polybion (Mexico): High-quality, high-performance biomaterials from fruit waste for a more sustainable future of the fashion industry.

More information on the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2024, the finalists and the opportunity to experience ideas for Sustainable Chemistry live at the Impact Festival can be found at www.isc3.org (Innovation Challenge und Investor Forum).

Christian Ruth-Strauß
Director Communications ISC3
christian.ruth-strauss@isc3.org

René Sutthoff
Konsequent PR
sutthoff@konsequent-pr.de

About ISC3
The International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre promotes Sustainable Chemistry for a sustainable world. ISC3 supports the chemical industry and chemical-related sectors in their transformation process through sustainable, innovative approaches from Sustainable Chemistry. The goal is a circular economy that implements the multiple aspects of sustainability over the entire life cycle of products and a rethinking of the behaviour of all stakeholders. To advance the dialogue between different sectors and actors worldwide, including Europe and other regions as well as emerging and developing countries, ISC3 follows a multi-stakeholder approach with the networking of policymakers, public and private sectors, education, science and society. It contributes to international chemicals policy, develops professional and academic training programs, advises companies, and promotes start-ups and research. Founded in 2017 by the Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, the centre is supported by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and by the Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (DECHEMA e.V.) as ISC3 Innovation Hub and Leuphana University Lüneburg as ISC3 Research & Education Hub. www.isc3.org