Chain of Custody: transparency in the textile chain

An initiative funded by The Good Reserve, our structural investment in circular innovation.

The challenge: gaining control over textile flows

The transition to a circular textile chain requires transparency. With the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, producers and collectors are obliged to know exactly what happens to collected textiles. However, many chains still lack an overview: data is fragmented, registrations vary by party, and measuring reuse or recycling remains largely manual. True circularity, however, starts with reliable data.

The solution: digital monitoring at mass balance level

Code for Good has invested in the development of Circle Yarn Label (CYL) from The Good Reserve; a platform that digitally maps the entire textile chain. CYL registers material flows at mass balance level, links data to processing locations and visualizes the entire chain in a single dashboard. The system is fully aligned with the UPV monitoring protocol, enabling producers, collectors and recyclers to share reliable data. By making this platform openly available, we want to show that transparency is not only an obligation but also a foundation for collaboration and a crucial step in reducing textile waste.

The solution: digital monitoring at mass balance level

The impact: transparency as the basis for circularity

Circle Yarn Label provides real insight into the circular textile chain. Companies have access to reliable, comparable data that they can use to track their material flows. By focusing on transparency, trust is created between chain partners and circularity becomes measurable.