Textile Labelling Requirements (TLR)
Textile Labelling Requirements (TLR) aim to ensure transparency in the fashion industry by providing clear and accurate information on garment composition, sourcing, and production processes. TLR can play a pivotal role in fostering sustainable and ethical practices by making the garment’s journey visible, from raw material extraction to its finished state. This transparency builds trust between brands and consumers, promoting responsible choices while complying with global regulations related to sustainability. Labels may include data on eco-friendly materials, ethical sourcing, and fair labour practices, and can be applied through traditional methods or newer technologies like QR codes, RFID, or NTC tags. TLR is not only a means to comply with laws but also a tool to align brands with future changes in production processes, material innovations, and legislation.
Case studies
Kowtow – Responsible business and fibre traceability
Kowtow, a New Zealand-based fashion brand, centres its labelling and communication on organic, Fairtrade cotton and fully traceable value chains. Its product and website labelling disclose fibre origin, processing stages, and certification, helping future repairers and recyclers understand fibre content and provenance while aligning with evolving sustainability regulations.
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ASKET – The Impact Receipt and full garment traceability
ASKET integrates “The Impact Receipt” and extended care and material information into its product labelling and digital interfaces. Each garment lists material composition, cost breakdown, and environmental impact data, enabling users and downstream actors to access detailed lifecycle information that supports longer use, repair, and informed end-of-life decisions.
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Ninety Percent – Transparency and shared profits labelling
Ninety Percent uses garment labels and digital codes to connect each product to information on fibre origin, factory location, and the brand’s profit-sharing model. By coupling care instructions with QR-linked supply-chain transparency, the brand positions labelling as an interface for ethical choices, long-term care, and future recycling infrastructure.
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Honest Basics – Essential labelling for affordable sustainable basics
Honest Basics focuses on simple, durable wardrobe staples made from organic and recycled materials, with clear labelling around fibre content, certifications, and care. Their “Honest” information architecture across tags and product pages is designed to make sustainability and longevity legible to users and future handlers, supporting low-cost, future-proof traceability.
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VEJA – Material and sourcing transparency for footwear
VEJA footwear labels and product pages specify organic cotton, wild Amazonian rubber, and recycled components, linking these to detailed sourcing and social-audit information. This combination of physical labels and online documentation enables traceability of multi-material footwear, supporting emerging requirements for digital product passports and informed repair or material separation at end-of-life.
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References
Ziyeh, C., & Ciaschini, V. (2023). A framework to navigate eco-labels in the textile and apparel industry. Sustainability, 15(19), 14170. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914170
Domskienė, J., Urbelis, V., Cvilikas, A., & Abolit-Gutmane, D. (2024). Digital product passports in the textile industry: Opportunities and challenges for circular economy implementation. Autex Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1515/aut-2024-0002
Watchravesringkan, K., & Lee, Y. (2022). How to promote eco-apparel? Effects of eco-labels and message framing. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 14(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v14n2p1
Bhaduri, G., & Ha-Brookshire, J. E. (2011). Do transparent business practices pay? Exploration of transparency and consumer purchase intention. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 29(2), 135–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X11397954
Bonifazi, G., Capobianco, G., Serranti, S., Fiore, L., Di Noto, V., & Signoroni, A. (2022). End-of-life textile recognition in a circular economy perspective: A methodological approach based on near infrared spectroscopy. Sustainability, 14(16), 10249. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610249