Digital Product Passports for textiles: Data providing an essential companion on the journey through the circular chain

Digital Product Passports (DPP’s) are an essential building block of the European Green Deal. They’ve been designed to accompany products on their journey through the circular chain, contributing to a more sustainable future. But DPP’s set high standards for the data they contain. In this article we explain how all relevant information can be included in DPP’s, in particular for textile products.

What is a Digital Product Passport?

A DPP contains information about a product throughout its entire life cycle. For example, it answers questions such as:

  • What’s in this product?
  • Where does it come from?
  • Where can I return it after use?
  • What’s the best way to process it for reuse?

Companies digitally record all information regarding the composition and technical data of their product in the passport. During its journey through the chain it evolves. Each link in the chain adds new information to the product passport. The purpose of the passport is to share information about the products we use and to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Which products are relevant?

The focus is on products that use a lot of resources and have a lot of circular potential, such as batteries, textiles and packaging. Textiles are especially relevant, considering the textile industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters. The DPP can improve the traceability of textile products and thus support the industry in becoming more sustainable.

How can we ensure that all relevant information is included in the DPP?

To ensure that all relevant information is included in the DPP, it is important to involve the entire chain. Each link in the chain has to add information about the product, for example about the resources that were used, the production method or logistical information. It is essential to standardize this information, making it understandable for all parties involved. For this purpose, digital platforms can be used. They make it possible to connect different systems.

Conclusion

The DPP is an important building block for the circular economy and can contribute to a more sustainable future. Textiles are one of the product categories for which DPP’s can be used. To ensure that all relevant information is included in DPP’s, it is important to involve the entire chain and standardise information. This will contribute to an improved traceability of textile products and a more sustainable textile industry.

Do you have any questions or would you like to learn more? Give us a call or send us an email to make an appointment. Visit our website www.LCT-Textilligence.com or call us at +31 344 633414.