Soorty and Haelixa are embedding forensic DNA markers into recycled denim, while France and California are mandating producer responsibility.
Soorty, one of Pakistan’s leading denim producers, has partnered with Swiss pioneer Haelixa to embed forensic-grade DNA markers directly into recycled cotton fibers during its SecondLife initiative. These invisible, non-toxic tracers survive spinning, dyeing, and assembly, providing brands and consumers with irrefutable proof of origin at every production stage.
“In today’s complex, global textile supply chains, trust depends on proven origin,” Dr. Gediminas Mikutis, co-founder and CTO of Haelixa, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Soorty shows how physical traceability builds confidence in circular claims and meets the rising demand for credible, transparent sourcing.”
Using Haelixa’s polymerase chain reaction–based DNA tracking, Soorty can verify fiber identity long after traditional logistics documentation would fail. That authenticity is supported from mill to table thanks to “Marked & Traced by Haelixa” labels featuring scannable QR codes, offering consumers real-time access to detailed sourcing history.
“Our long-standing partnership with Haelixa continues to advance Soorty’s commitment to circular fashion,” says Eda Dikmen, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Soorty. “By enabling reliable authentication and traceability throughout the lifecycle of the product — from our mills to the final garment, which could be traced at any time — we’re solidifying our claims while also empowering our brand partners to meet their targets with proof. This shared transparency fosters deeper trust and genuinely equips end customers to make informed decisions.”
A growing regulatory landscape
Soorty’s initiative reflects a wider transformation in textile recycling and traceability. France, long a frontrunner in environmental legislation targeting ultra-fast fashion, recently announced an emergency support package to stabilize its national textile waste infrastructure. The Ministry of Ecological Transition will channel €49 million to bolster the collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of clothing and footwear in 2025, with an additional €57 million planned for 2026.
The support plan was issued in the midst of mounting tensions in the sector, as organizations like Le Relais warned of system collapse and staged protests to spotlight underfunding. Le Relais, one of France’s major recyclers, dumped 12 tons of discarded clothes in front of a Kiabi store in Arras to draw attention to its call for increased financial support. The French government responded with revised contributions of €223 per ton in 2025, increasing to €228 next year, narrowing the gap between what recyclers claimed was needed and what they received through Refashion, France’s producer responsibility scheme.
France currently collects approximately 270,000 metric tons of textile waste annually, of which 60 percent enters the secondhand market and 90 percent of that is exported, primarily to Africa. But collapsing resale prices and an influx of cheaper garments from Asia have destabilized the system, leading to the closure of many collection sites.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the California Retailers Association, American Apparel & Footwear Association, and National Retail Federation have signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a PRO that aims to register producers by July 2026 in response to Senate Bill 707 — the first American state textile-focused extended producer responsibility (EPR) law. “California’s groundbreaking S.B. 707 positions our state as a national leader in responsible textile management,” said Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association.
Under the legislation, producers and importers must join or form a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to manage the collection, repair, reuse, and recycling of textiles starting in 2026.
This alignment of regulatory pressure and technical innovation is catalyzing a global shift. While France deploys state funding to keep its infrastructure afloat and California mandates responsibility at the brand level, Soorty’s DNA markers deliver the missing link: verifiable authenticity.
Why traceability now?
Globally, traceability has become more than a marketing buzzword; it is increasingly viewed as an operational necessity. The European Union’s proposed Digital Product Passport initiative will require fashion brands to provide detailed information on the environmental footprint and sourcing of products sold in Europe. France’s anti-waste law, alongside its latest funding support, aims to build the infrastructure needed to meet such transparency mandates.
The textile industry, notorious for opacity and fragmented supply chains, is undergoing a transformation driven by both bottom-up pressure from consumers and top-down legislation. According to a 2023 McKinsey report, traceability ranks among the top priorities for fashion executives, with over seventy percent of respondents stating that greater visibility would be critical to meeting their sustainability goals.
Soorty’s approach stands apart by fusing physical innovation with digital verification. DNA markers embedded in cotton fibers are not only tamper-proof but resilient throughout every phase of manufacturing. Where blockchain or QR codes can be replicated or separated from a product, molecular tagging remains part of the material itself. This forensic-grade solution meets emerging demands from regulators and consumers for irrefutable data across the product life cycle. Haelixa’s technology supports compliance with leading standards including GOTS and OEKO-TEX, as well as the EU’s Green Claims Directive and Digital Product Passport.
The convergence of financial aid, policy mandates, and cutting-edge molecular science points to a future where textile recycling is both scaled and validated. Soorty’s participation in the Denim Deal, a global coalition working to normalize the use of post-consumer recycled cotton in denim, underscores its systemic approach.
While the European Commission estimates that fiber-to-fiber recycling could reach 18 to 26 percent of total textile waste by 2030, the infrastructure to support that ambition remains in development. That is why traceability technologies are not simply supportive but foundational. Whether fueled by financial aid, policy mandates, or forensic innovation, textile recycling is moving toward a new paradigm built not only on ambition but on hard proof.
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