Digital Product Passport (DPP) Guide for the Textile Industry

Under the European Union's Eco-Design Regulation for Sustainable Products (ESPR), the fashion and apparel sector has been identified as one of the top priority categories. This guide outlines the technical and legal details necessary for textile manufacturers and brands to adapt to this new era.

What is a Textile Product Passport?

A textile product passport is a digital record containing verified data on a garment, such as its composition, origin, carbon footprint, repairability, and recyclability. This digital record is linked to the physical product via a QR code or RFID tag.

Which textile products are covered?

The ESPR framework does not limit textile DPP to fashion alone, but encompasses a wide range of fields.

Basic Information to be Included in the Passport

Future textile passports will include the following data categories:

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  Fiber Composition: The percentage composition of each fiber type, such as cotton and polyester, and the source of the raw material (pure fossil or recycled).

  
  
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  Supply Chain Trace: 4-tier (Tier 1-4) transparency from fiber production to final stitching, with country information for each step.

  
  
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  Durability Scores: Standard test results such as abrasion resistance, pilling resistance, and color fastness.

  
  
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  Chemical Substances: Declaration of hazardous substances (SVHCs above 0.1%) and PFAS within the scope of the REACH regulation.

  
  
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  Carbon Footprint: "Cradle to door" CO2 equivalent data and PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) calculation standard.

  
  

Application Schedule: When Does it Start?

While the exact dates for the textile sector will be clarified with the delegate regulations, the expected timeline is as follows:

Technical Implementation: QR Codes and GS1 Digital Link

QR codes will be the most common data carrier for textile products . The EU is proposing the GS1 Digital Link standard; this way, when a single code is scanned, people with different authorizations will see different data:

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  Consumer: Views maintenance and recycling information.

  
  
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  Recycler: Sees the fiber composition and chemical details.

  
  
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  Auditor: Has access to full compliance records.

  
  

Important: The data carrier (label) must remain readable for the product's expected lifespan (e.g., 50 washes).

Frequently Asked Questions

How will fast fashion brands be affected? There will be direct pressure on the fast fashion model. Low durability scores and complicated recycling paths (such as polyester-cotton blends) will be permanently listed in DPP records.

Are there any exemptions for SMEs? Exemptions or simplified obligations for micro-enterprises (fewer than 10 employees) will be clarified in the delegated bylaws.

Where will the data be stored? Brands can build their own infrastructure, work with industry consortia, or use dedicated DPP platforms. It is essential that the data remains accessible for the product's lifecycle plus a specified period.

You can contact our expert teams to initiate your textile DPP processes and set up your data infrastructure.