A consortium of over 65 organizations is collaborating on the Trace4Value project to pilot a DPP (digital product passport) system for textiles.
This initiative precedes the EU’s plan to mandate DPPs for textiles by 2030, aiming to enhance sustainable production, facilitate the shift to a circular economy, and empower consumers to make eco-conscious choices. The project involves developing a common protocol for sharing product data across supply chains, using digital carriers to tag garments and provide transparency via QR codes. By enabling traceability from raw materials to finished products, it seeks to reduce environmental impact, improve supply chain efficiency, and foster collaboration among manufacturers, retailers, and technology providers.
Overall, the initiative prepares the textile industry for upcoming regulatory requirements, supports adoption of circular economy principles, and encourages standardized approaches to product transparency and sustainability.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) for textiles is part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which has been in force since July 2024. This regulatory framework requires companies operating in the EU to provide comprehensive, product-specific information, including environmental performance, material composition, reparability, and recyclability. By doing so, the DPP supports the implementation of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, promoting transparency and lifecycle-based data exchange across the entire supply chain.
