Adidas uses TrusTrace traceability platform to support sustainability claims

The German sportswear giant is rolling out a new tool from the technology platform focused on supply chain traceability to help document the sustainability credentials of its products.

The move comes as regulators report a crackdown on greenwashing in marketing and brands face new environmental disclosure requirements.

TrusTrace’s new tool allows brands to trace products down to the material level, creating a centralized database of certifications and documents that prove companies’ sustainability claims.

“You’re talking now about millions of products sold and at every product level you need to have supporting evidence,” said Shameek Ghosh, co-founder and managing director of TrusTrace. The software compiles data provided by suppliers to offer near real-time information on a product’s sustainability credentials as it moves through the system.

When it comes to marketing and inventory planning, the industry focuses on consumer data to make decisions, applying those same principles to the supply chain could be a powerful driver for change, said Ghosh.

Adidas, which has set a goal of using only recycled polyester by 2024 and ensuring that 90% of its items are made more sustainably by 2025, will track all certified materials used in its products via TrusTrace over the next two years, according to Gosh.

The platform will help Adidas provide even more transparency about its sustainability efforts, the company’s senior vice president for sustainability Katja Schreiber said in an emailed statement.

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