Wait, What's a Digital Product Passport?
Welcome to a new series where I’ll break down sustainability initiatives into plain English. No jargon, no confusion, no deep dives - just simple, snackable explanations of what's happening in the fashion industry, why it matters and how to get involved.
First up: Digital Product Passports (although often written in acronym-form as DPP just to keep us guessing.)
So…think of a Digital Product Passport (DPP) as your clothing's life story.
Just like your passport shows where you've traveled, a DPP tracks your garment's journey from raw material to finished product. It contains information about what materials were used, where it was made, how to care for it, and even how to recycle it when it’s reached the end of it’s life.
The fashion industry has a BIG transparency problem. When you buy clothes, you basically have little-to-no idea where all of the many components that made it really came from or what they're actually, definitely made of.
DPPs aim to change that by:
Making it easier to spot genuinely consciously-made products from items being upsold with a side of greenwashing
Making it simpler to know what to do at the products end of life - is it something easy to repair, resell, or recycle?
Holding brands to be more accountable for their production methods
Therefore…helping consumers make informed choices about what to buy!
DPPs will likely come in several forms. Sadly none of them are an actual passport. But they could be a:
RFID tag: Small electronic tags sewn into garments
QR code: Printed on care labels or hangtags (check your wardrobe, you might already have a few of these!)
NFC chip: Similar to what's in all our contactless bank cards
Digital ID: Unique identifiers linked to online databases
The EU regulation doesn't specify which technology must be used, giving brands flexibility to choose what works best for their products. But the key requirement is that the information must be easily accessible to consumers and other stakeholders throughout the product's lifecycle.
2025: EU finalizes the DPP requirements
2026: Initial rollout begins with larger fashion brands
2027-2030: Gradual implementation across the industry
2030: Expected widespread adoption/it’s mandatory, baby
Three main challenges are slowing things down:
Technology growing pains - creating a new, transparent system that works across an entire industry that is currently pretty opaque, is no simple task.
Cost concerns and accessibility - especially for smaller brands who worry about expenses and bandwidth to get up-to-speed with the requirements.
Supply chain complexity - tracking every step of production requires cooperation from multiple partners for whom this is also pretty damn new.
If you’ve ever worked at a company that implemented a new tool, process or system, you’ll know first-hand that - in spite of our impatience - lasting change takes time.
This is especially important for:
Fashion employees working in sustainability, marketing, production, or tech
Product developers and designers, buyers and merchandisers
Supply chain managers (no surprises there!)
Digital transformation specialists and anyone with the title Senior/Lead and above
But it's also useful for:
Consumers who want to make more informed choices and hold institutions accountable
Fashion students learning about the industry and planning their careers
Resale platform founders, designers and all workers in-between
Recycling and second-hand facility operators
Everyone!
Inspired to get ready for the roll-out? Consider the below a non-exhaustive list of suggestions to help yourself out. It’s definitely not a shopping list to check off but a starting point to get some ideas. Enjoy!
If you're a professional
Working for a Big Company? Get Certified.
Check out online courses on circularity or take IBM's EdX "Blockchain Essentials" course.
Part of a Lean Team?
Map Your Supply Chain: here’s an easy-to-read breakdown and make it accessible to your customers.
Everyone in Between?
Subscribe to the newsletter updates from the EU's Digital Product Passport initiative. And talk about it.
If you're a student or career starter
Sign up for a course
Such as: edX's Circular Fashion: Design, Science and Value in a Sustainable Clothing Industry
Follow and get involved with these Organizations:
Fashion for Good (innovation platform)
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (circular economy)
Global Fashion Agenda (industry transformation)
Circle Economy (circular solutions)
If you're a consumer
Consider some of the Leading Brands first:
PANGAIA (Digital Passports with material origins)
GANNI (transparency initiative with transparency tracking this year)
Reformation (RefScale environmental impact tracking)
Use Tools like Good On You app to get a better picture of a brands’ actual impact.
Look out for these features on Brands’ products and websites:
QR codes on product labels
"Trace this garment" options on the product page
Detailed material sourcing information and clear supply maps
And if not, ask these Questions:
"Do you have a product tracking system?"
"Where can I find information about this product's origins?"
"What certifications do your suppliers have?"
"How do you verify your supply chain information?"
Digital Product Passports are coming! And they're going to change how we make, buy, and care for clothes. While the rollout might take time, understanding DPPs now puts you ahead of the curve in both your career and your conscious consumption journey.
Next month: I'll break down another sustainability initiative making waves in the fashion industry. Have a topic you'd like to demystify? Drop me a line!