The Digital Product Passport (DPP, for its acronym in English) is emerging as one of the key tools to boost sustainability, improve transparency and advance towards a circular economy in the European Union. Initially regulated by the Regulation 2024/1781 (EU) establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products (ESPR, for its acronym in English) it will be progressively applied, and, of course, will also reach the textile and fashion sector.
Driven by community initiatives such as the Circular Economy Action Plan and projects like CIRPASS (Circular Product Information System for Sustainability), this product identifier seeks to change the way products are designed, used, and recycled. But, what exactly is the DPP, what is it for, and what implications does it have?
What is the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport is, in essence, a digital compilation of relevant information about a product throughout its entire life cycle, from its manufacturing until its recycling.
It will allow to know key aspects such as the materials used, the manufacturing processes, the supply chain or the instructions for use and recycling. Its objective is to facilitate product tracking and improve its management from a sustainability perspective.
Its development responds to the need to reduce the environmental impact of products and foster more circular models, in which resources are reused and better utilized.
What is the DPP for?
The DPP has several functions that affect both consumers and businesses and administrations. On the one hand, it allows to improve transparency, since products can incorporate systems such as QR codes or NFC tags that offer accessible and verifiable information. This facilitates consumers making more informed purchasing decisions, by knowing the origin of the product or how it should be properly disposed of.
On the other hand, it also simplifies regulatory compliance. By registering events and data along the value chain, the digital passport acts as a traceability tool that helps companies respond to regulatory demands.
In addition, it contributes to a more sustainable production, as it allows measuring social and environmental impacts and making data-based decisions. Overall, all this favors the development of a circular economy based on more durable, reusable and recyclable products.
How will it affect the textile sector
One of the sectors where the Digital Product Passport can have a more significant impact is the textile. In this area, the DPP will allow consumers to know in more detail the origin of the garments, the materials used and the conditions in which they have been manufactured.
This represents a relevant change in a sector where traceability has traditionally been limited and where there is a growing concern for the environmental and social impact of production.
Thanks to the DPP, it will be possible to identify, for example, if a piece has been made with sustainable materials or under certain labor conditions, which can influence purchasing decisions.
Furthermore, the digital passport will facilitate the reuse and recycling of textiles, by offering information about the composition of the materials and the best ways to manage them at the end of their useful life.
In this sense, the DPP can become a key tool to move towards more sustainable and circular fashion models, in line with the objectives set by the European Union.
Overall, the Digital Product Passport represents a structural change in the way products are conceived and managed, with a special impact on sectors such as textiles, where transparency and sustainability are increasingly decisive.
When it will be applied to the textile sector and how it will affect companies
The first sector to which the obligation to elaborate the DPP will arrive (between the current year and 2027) is that of batteries and energy storage. Subsequently, it will be the time for textile, fashion, and footwear. There is no exact date, but it is estimated that its application could begin in 2027 and, as pointed out in the 2025 Report of the Spanish Textile Retail Association (ARTE), its official implementation is planned in three phases culminating in 2033.
Despite this, they add, “several brands have decided to anticipate, participating in pilot projects and developing their own solutions that integrate similar functionalities, such as the traceability of raw materials or the analysis of environmental impact”.
Likewise, from the Textile and Fashion Sector Observatory, they point out three direct implications of the application of the DPP in the sector
- Transparency: the DPP will promote traceability throughout the product supply chain, giving veracity to sustainability claims.
- Responsible consumption: consumers will be able to make informed decisions based on origin, materials used, and production processes, among others.
- Regulatory compliance: the DPP will facilitate competent authorities in ensuring compliance with European regulations for each product.