The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record detailing the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle.
Key Takeaways:
- The EU requirement for Digital Product Passports places significant technical and data demands on the textile industry which will take time and investment to meet, so companies need to prepare now.
- Exact requirements are still to be determined, but each textile product sold in the EU will need a basic DPP by 2030.
- Gain an understanding of what you need to do and what data you need to capture in preparation.
- Read on for more specific implementation requirements, and how a DPP can be set up.
What is the Digital Product Passport (DPP)?
The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record which provides detailed information about the environmental impact of products throughout their entire lifecycle. It gathers comprehensive data on the product and its supply chain, offering insights into the materials used, manufacturing processes, care, reuse and recycle options and overall sustainability. By making this information accessible, the DPP empowers consumers and other stakeholders to make informed buying decisions, promoting greater transparency and accountability in the production and consumption of goods.
How does the DPP apply to the Textile Industry?
In Europe, textiles have the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and mobility. Every year, the average European discards 11 kg of textiles. Globally, a truckload of textiles is either sent to landfills or incinerated every second. (Source: EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles)
The DPP will play a pivotal role in the EU’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles by aiming to reduce the environmental impact of consumer goods and encourage greater corporate accountability. By 2030 the EU requires that all textile products sold within its territory must include a digital passport
What is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products?
Regulation and what has it got to do with Digital Product Passports?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is a framework established by the European Union aimed at improving the environmental performance of products throughout their lifecycle. The DPP is a key tool within this regulatory framework and facilitates compliance with the ESPR by offering transparency and traceability. The DPP makes it easier for manufacturers to meet the ecodesign requirements and for consumers to make informed choices based on the sustainability of products.
The ESPR came into force on 18th July 2024 and is one of the key actions under the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP).
DPPs are not a stand-alone idea, elements of traceability, chain of custody and data-sharing requirements are also present within a range of other regulations. These all form part of the European Union’s Digital Transition and Data Spaces plans designed to standardise access to data.
Digital Product Passport Requirements
Although requirements are still being confirmed, some foundational guidelines have been established. Chapter III of the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation outlines the key elements of DPP creation, access, and data sharing.
In brief, every product placed on the EU market will need to carry its individual information (DPP), access to which will need to be provided via a data carrier to a unique product identifier (UID). The UID should include digital links on or with the products themselves e.g. a care label, instead of just the outer packaging or tags. This will allow any interested parties the ability to access information directly relating to the product’s lifecycle, including; raw materials, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and recycling options. It is important to note that whoever brings a product to market will carry the responsibility for guaranteeing the data accuracy of the DPP, regardless of where they fall within the supply chain.
The data carrier and the UID shall comply with the standard (‘ISO/IEC’) 15459:2015. The information included in the product passport must list the product model, batch, or item.
For businesses that are just starting this process the development of DPPs can be complex. Cooperation from the entire supply chain is essential to ensure that important product information is captured and validated.
You can download the complete list of the requirements for digital product passports, as laid out in the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, here.
We've made an easy-to-digest summary of the data textile retailers need to capture and display below, with a fuller outline in our blog post: Digital Product Passport Data Collection Details.
Digital Product Passport Timeline - Why You Should Start Now
The ESPR’s provisional agreement from December 2023, (which includes DPPs) product groups with a high environmental impact including textiles (notably garments and footwear) will be prioritised.
A study published on 28th June 2024 commissioned by the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) of the European Parliament suggests the following timeline for the implementation of the DPP for textiles.
- By 2027, all textile products sold within the EU must possess a minimal and simplified DPP with mandatory product information and environmental impact details that would be useful for lifecycle analysis
- By 2030, an advanced DPP will be required which will be progressively extended to other stakeholders with comprehensive information collected along the lifecycle.
- By 2033 a full circular DPP for textiles to include all lifecycle data will be necessary.
Implementing DPPs will require significant data collection across the entire supply chain, and a technical solution will be a necessity. If your business sells products in the EU and is in one of the impacted sectors, then it would be wise to start making steps towards implementing measures to comply with DPPs now.
DPPs need to be implemented from 2027 to be live by 2030, which doesn’t leave much time to get a complete grip of each new product’s traceability and circularity options. Not only is it a long-term and continuous endeavour to create supply chain transparency and plan product ranges with circularity in mind; but this is also a huge undertaking for brands and retailers to roll out new software Europe-wide (at least) that connects to a database of growing product information.
At Segura, we understand that the implementation of DPPs may seem daunting, especially since requirement specifications are still being refined. The granular architecture of software like Segura, which can process all physical components and materials that contain unique digital identities (UIDs) from the beginning until the end of the supply chain, allows businesses to capture all of the information currently required for DPPs.
"There will be a lot more legislation and reporting requirements coming through. We partnered with Segura because we know they can help us stay ahead of the game"
River Island
Advice for suppliers impacted by the Digital Product Passport
Digital product passports will significantly support the EU’s climate and environmental ambitions and help make the European economy more resilient. Retailers are working now to bring in changes to ensure they are ready, which will affect the information they require from their suppliers.
Be prepared:
Businesses need to ensure they understand the new requirements of the DPP and consider ways to progress the information transfer that will be required. Robust systems and processes will be crucial to gather, handle and share the essential data. This may necessitate investing in new technologies for data management.
Be compliant:
Make sure that you are up to date and compliant with all legislation, especially regarding data handling. As the DPP will require further supplier transparency it could potentially expose sensitive information. Therefore, it’s important to understand the balance between data sharing and data protection.
Segura: DPP
Data capture is key, gaining supply chain traceability is a requirement for DPP.
Once the data is captured through the platform, Segura has a flexible solution for retailers and brands to display each product’s digital product passport. There is a Segura-built site that can display product and DPP details, providing back-links to the retailers' product page on their website. Alternatively, retailers can embed the DPP information directly against the product page on their website. The default template can include a visual map of suppliers’ locations, details of the supply chain tiers and the various environmental and ethical credentials.
A trusted technology solution to implement your DPP
The above is a lot to take in and even more to put into practice! The good news is that Segura already handles the DPP requirements for well-known businesses and retailers and we can do the same for you.
The Digital Product Passport capabilities are available to brands and retailers who are using the core Segura platform to map their supply chain and as a central repository for supplier management and all your ESG-related data and evidence.
Read more about Segura’s Digital Product Passport here. Let us take the weight of the EU legislation and compliance, and you can gain the commercial benefits!
If you’d like to have a free exploratory call, get in touch with us today: info@segura.co.uk
