# Traceability for Circularity Scale end-to-end traceability across your operations to achieve material sovereignty, verify sustainability claims and unlock circular value. Where Circularity Breaks Down Organizations are under increasing pressure to build a **sustainable value chain** while navigating stricter regulations, rising consumer expectations, investor scrutiny, tariff shifts and supply disruptions. Yet visibility across value networks drops sharply beyond tier one suppliers — from 90% to 40% at tier two and just 9% at tier three.1 Blind spots across upstream, midstream and downstream operations lead to significant challenges in verifying materials, managing risk and maintaining stakeholder trust. Additionally, regulatory requirements such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), European Union (EU) Taxonomy and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards are raising expectations for transparency and accountability. In response, companies must consider adopting digital solutions to enable **traceability for circularity** to remain competitive and maintain the license to operate in key markets. Inside Circular Supply Chains 52% of global manufacturers recognize the central role of visibility and transparency in **supply chain resilience**.2 Traceability enables this by connecting materials, products, processes and operational data and structuring information into a single, governed environment. From increased recycled material integration to recovered product value and improved operational performance, click to scan the infographic and see how industry leaders are delivering measurable, sustainable outcomes. SUS: Traceability for Sustainability bundle-3ds-sus-traceability-for-sus module Three Pillars of Circularity Apply traceability to specific business challenges and turn transparency into a competitive advantage. Secure Material Supply Traceability brings clarity to the [materials lifecycle](/sustainability/critical-materials-value-network "Unify Both Macro and Micro Views of the Critical Materials Lifecycle"), revealing where materials come from, how they behave and where dependencies lie across tiers. As companies shift toward **post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR)** and bio-based inputs, this kind of visibility is essential. Simulation enables materials to be virtually tested before sourcing, helping teams compare options, validate performance and reduce the costs, waste and resource consumption associated with physical testing. [Secure Material Supply](/media/25027) Recover Product Value Product design and recovery are being reshaped through circular approaches such as [design for disassembly](/sustainability/circular-economy/design-for-disassembly "Design for Disassembly in the Age of Circularity"), which drives the repair, reuse and repurposing of product parts. With traceability, lifecycle data is connected to a [Digital Product Passport](/sustainability/circular-economy/digital-product-passport "Powering Sustainability with the Digital Product Passport") (DPP), accessible through a scannable QR code. This dynamic record makes product information visible and actionable for manufacturers, consumers, recyclers and regulators across the value chain. [Recover Product Value](/media/25028) Unify Enterprise Workflows 64% of executives cite collaboration as critical to traceability.3 Aligning distributed teams in a shared data environment creates a real-time view of [circular value networks](/sustainability/circular-economy/circularity-action/enterprise-value-network "Circular Supply Chains: Reshape the Enterprise’s Value Network") and provides transparency without exposing sensitive proprietary information. This allows teams to respond faster to disruptions, maintain compliance and coordinate decisions with greater confidence across **circular supply chains**. [Unify Enterprise Workflows](/media/25029) Your Guide to Scaling Traceability Most companies start traceability initiatives — but few successfully scale them. This ebook explores how our solutions connect lifecycle data to drive circularity and achieve sustainability goals. Uncover how to evaluate cost, manage risk and deliver measurable outcomes in a competitive landscape. [Your Guide to Scaling Traceability](/media/25032) [ Download the ebook ](/media/visibility-value-make-traceability-shift) Applied Traceability Across Global Industries Circular Packaging A consumer goods manufacturer increased recycled content to 76% while reducing material use by 18% through simulation and modeling. [Facing Sustainable Packaging Challenges](/media/25038) [Read the case study](https://www.3ds.com/sustainability/measurable-sustainability-benefits/circular-packaging-plastic) Emission Reduction An equipment manufacturer experienced 40% avoided emission estimation in scrap rate through component usage monitoring. [Part Reuse](/media/25056) [Read the case study](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2025-02/cs14-component-reuse-case-study-final.pdf) Collaborative Innovation An electric vehicle developer scaled lower-emission transport by improving cross-functional alignment with a unified digital platform. [QEV Technologies](/media/25039) [Read the case study](https://www.3ds.com/insights/customer-stories/qev-technologies) Power Traceability for Circularity with 3D UNIV+RSES Scaling traceability requires a unified digital solution that will help verify sustainable sourcing, drive the design of products for disassembly and manage complex operational networks. Dassault Systèmes’ [3D UNIVERSES](/insights/3d-universes "3D UNIV+RSES: The New Value Equation for Your Business"), powered by the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform, unite virtual twins, scientific data and industrial artificial intelligence (AI) for organizations to deploy scalable **supply chain traceability solutions** across the value network. Ready to talk? [Contact us](/how-to-buy/contact-sales) Traceability, Circularity, Sustainability and Your Questions What is traceability in sustainability? **Supply chain traceability solutions** track materials, products and processes across the lifecycle using structured, verifiable data. This creates visibility into material origin, composition, transformations and chain of custody across suppliers. By connecting data across the value network, traceability enables organizations to verify sourcing practices, manage supply risks and substantiate sustainability claims with measurable evidence. What is a sustainable value chain? A sustainable value chain connects sourcing, design, manufacturing, distribution and recovery into a unified system, enabling organizations to reduce environmental impact while enhancing performance and resilience. To operate effectively, end-to-end **supply chain traceability** ensures decisions made at the material level, such as sourcing or recycled content integration, can be tracked through to product outcomes, including recovery, reuse and emissions impact — thus mitigating waste streams. What is sustainability in business operations? Sustainability in business operations involves embedding environmental and regulatory considerations into how products are designed, manufactured and delivered across the value network. This requires connecting engineering, manufacturing and supply chain systems to ensure continuous data flow. With **traceability in manufacturing**, organizations can monitor impact in real time, reduce manual reporting and maintain alignment with evolving regulatory frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). What is sustainability tracking? Sustainability tracking is the continuous measurement and monitoring of environmental impact across an entire value network. While traditional approaches rely on periodic reporting and estimates, traceability transforms this into a real-time, data-driven process. Organizations can track emissions, material usage and product recovery across the lifecycle, supporting [Digital Product Passports](/sustainability/circular-economy/digital-product-passport "Powering Sustainability with the Digital Product Passport") (DPP) and improving waste streams to maximize circular and sustainable value beyond first use. Sources \[1\] [Supply Chain Risk Pulse 2025: Tariffs Reshuffle Global Trade Priorities](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/supply-chain-risk-survey) by McKinsey & Company \[2\] [Transforming Supply Chains: Achieving Visibility, Efficiency and Resilience Through Track and Trace](https://qa.idc.com/showcase/transforming-supply-chains-achieving-visibility-efficiency-and-resilience-through-track-and-trace) by International Data Corporation \[3\] [Digital Traceability: A Framework for More Sustainable and Resilient Value Chains](https://www.weforum.org/publications/digital-traceability-a-framework-for-more-sustainable-and-resilient-value-chains) by World Economic Forum (Sustainability-DPP)Related Content Circular Economy How circular economy practices can help your business dare to be bold through new business models that preserve the environment for future generations. [Read more about Circular Economy](/sustainability/circular-economy) (Sustainability-Related Content)Unify Both Macro and Micro Views of the Critical Materials Lifecycle One platform to unlock the best of both worlds for complete value network clarity. [Discover More](/sustainability/critical-materials-value-network) (CS) Battery Traceability: Sustainability's Game Changer Discover the pivotal role of battery traceability in shaping a low-carbon future with the **3D**EXPERIENCE® platform. [Discover more](/sustainability/circular-economy/battery-traceability) The Next Gear in Battery Development Tomorrow’s electric vehicles demand a revolution in battery innovation – lighter, more powerful, and more sustainable, delivered at unprecedented scale. [Read more on Battery Evolution](/industries/transportation-mobility/accelerated-battery-innovation) ![Traceability for Circularity](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-05/traceability-sustainability-hero-banner.jpg) [Traceability for Circularity](/media/25022)