This free online map tracks garment factories across the globe

Pushing towards greater transparency.

While consumers are pushing harder than ever before for greater transparency in the fashion industry, brands and corporations still have a long way to go.

Bringing us one step closer to an ethical fashion industry is the newly launched Open Apparel Registry, a database dedicated to mapping garment facilities around the world.

Developed in collaboration by the C&A Foundation and software firm Azavea, the online tool seeks to track garment facilities and their global brand affiliations. The aim is to untangle supply chains to achieve greater transparency for all.

It uses a Google maps type interface to track facility names, addresses and their affiliated parties. Each facility is assigned a unique ID that distinguishes it from any other featured in the database.

Best of all, the Open Apparel Registry is completely free to use. Users can also contribute to the database once they’ve signed up to a free account.

Check out the map in action below, or head here to try it for yourself.

openapparel.org