A University of Michigan spin-out named Fibarcode is on a mission to permanently link textiles to their life-cycle data — from manufacturing origin to end-of-life fate by embedding “barcodes” directly into the fibers of fabrics. The goal of this is to make clothes more recyclable and far harder to counterfeit.
What Fibarcode is actually doing?
Fibarcode has developed a photonic fiber technology that enables unique optical signatures to be built into yarn. These signatures function like barcodes. When scanned (using infrared or other light), they reveal detailed data about the garment — where it was made, how it was made, and even its material composition.
This is not a printed or sewn-on label, but something woven in “the thread that is read,” as Fibarcode puts it. This code unlike typical tags, which can be cut off, fade, or wear out, the photonic barcode remains intact through the life of the garment.
Let’s see why it matters
- Boosting recycling: One of the biggest barriers to textile recycling is sorting. Less than 15% of the 92 million tons of discarded textiles annually are recycled, in part because garments often lack reliable, legible labels at the end of life.
- Authenticity and anti-counterfeiting: Counterfeits often use low-quality or misleading tags. Fibarcode’s embedded approach offers a virtually “unfakeable” tag, giving brands stronger assurance of provenance.
- Circular economy: By enabling accurate, automated sorting and verification, Fibarcode’s technology can reduce the friction in textile-to-textile recycling, making a circular textile economy more practical.
How it works
- The photonic fibers are made via thermal drawing: a preform composed of alternating layers of polymers (acrylic or polycarbonate) is drawn into fibers where each layer is just a few micrometers thick.
- By tweaking the layer thickness and materials, the team can tune how the fiber absorbs or reflects light across different wavelengths (from UV to infrared).
- These fibers are then woven into fabric during manufacturing. Because only a small portion of the fabric needs the special fibers, the cost impact is minimal.
- At the end-of-life, the embedded codes can be scanned by recycling centers or other stakeholders to read the stored data.
Business & commercial strategy at a glance:
- Funding: Fibarcode recently secured about $1.6 million through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Fast-Track grant.
- Founders: The company was founded in 2024 by Brian Iezzi, a PhD graduate in Materials Science and Engineering from U-Michigan. He co-developed the technology with Professor Max Shtein, whose lab helped pioneer the photonic fiber work.
- Intellectual property: Fibarcode has secured patent protection with support from U-Michigan’s Innovation Partnerships.
- Location & acceleration: Though a U-Michigan spin-out, Fibarcode is headquartered in Tennessee, participating in a two-year accelerator program run by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Technology from research labs
Fibarcode’s core innovation comes from fundamental research conducted jointly at U-Michigan and MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Defense Fabric Discovery Center. The work builds on advanced photonic design, where micro-structured polymer layers are precisely engineered to yield the optical “barcode” effect. The MIT-Lincoln Lab documentation explains that conventional spectrometers — the kind already used in sorting facilities — can read these fiber barcodes, making the technology compatible with existing industrial infrastructure.
Challenges and risks
- Cost: While the special fibers are engineered to be inexpensive, they still add cost. Researchers estimate that only about 1% of a garment needs to be made of photonic fiber to encode a robust barcode, translating to a cost increase of only a few cents per item.
- Industry adoption: To be transformational, Fibarcode will need buy-in from multiple stakeholders — textile manufacturers, brands, and recyclers. Scaling pilot programs and building a scanning infrastructure will be critical.
- Data privacy and standardization: Embedding data in fabric raises questions about what exactly gets stored, who controls that data, and how it’s shared — especially in global supply chains.
Why brands should care
Sustainability credential: Brands committed to circularity can use Fibarcode’s labeling to transparently communicate the lifecycle of their products, from fiber origin to recyclability.
Counterfeit protection: High-end and luxury brands may see this as a powerful anti-counterfeiting tool. With embedded photonic codes, verifying authenticity becomes harder to spoof.
Consumer trust: In a world where transparency is increasingly demanded, Fibarcode could offer consumers verifiable proof of provenance — even after the purchase is made.
How Fibarcode could help prevent greenwashing
- Permanent traceability: The data is woven into the fabric itself, not just printed on a removable tag. That makes it harder to manipulate or replace.
- Material verification: Scanners can identify what the product is actually made of, helping recyclers and auditors confirm fiber composition instead of trusting marketing claims.
- Lifecycle data potential: If connected to verified databases, the barcode can link to factory origin, processing methods and recyclability pathways — not just vague “eco” labels.
In a nutshell, Fibarcode’s technology aligns with growing global pressure to reduce textile waste. By enabling more accurate sorting and recycling, it could increase the volume of post-consumer textiles that actually enter circular systems. Additionally, by making anti-counterfeiting measures more robust, the technology may help protect brand integrity and deter illicit trade.
