In a world where sustainability and ethical practices are gaining prominence, consumers and businesses are increasingly seeking ways to make informed choices. However, a lack of transparency often hinders our ability to assess a product's environmental and social impact. To address this challenge, the European Commission (EC) has announced the planned introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) between 2024 and 2026 . This groundbreaking proposal aims to enhance transparency and promote circularity by sharing product information across the value chain. For brands seeking to align with these regulations, our comprehensive digital platform, ettos, provides a direct solution.
What is the Digital Product Passport (DPP)?
The Digital Product Passport is a proposal by the European Commission that aims to revolutionise supply chain transparency. DPP’s collect and disseminate data about a product's materials, supply chain, and environmental impact. By sharing crucial data on raw material extraction, production processes, recycling, and more, the DPP empowers businesses and consumers to make more sustainable choices. By 2024, DPPs will be gradually introduced in key markets like textiles, prompting a need for proactive measures by brands. Compliance with these regulations means embracing sustainable production, circular business models, and empowering consumers to make informed decisions. It means providing a record of a product's compliance with standards, ensuring auditors can verify legal obligations and claims.
Digital Product Passports are a crucial component of the European Union's broader plans for digital transition, to create a standardised framework for data access and traceability. Embracing Digital Product Passports demonstrates a brand's commitment to sustainability, transparency, and responsible business practices.
Compliance with the DPP: What Fashion Brands Need to Know
Ensuring transparency and fostering trust in your supply chain is crucial for fashion brands. The DPP, which is a core component of the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan , is set to provide essential product-related information, advancing sustainability and circularity within the textile industry. For brands, this entails adopting sustainable production practices & empowering consumers with transparent product information.
Under the DPP framework, brands may need to disclose critical product details, like materials, supply chain partners, energy efficiency, recyclability, and more. To prepare adequately, companies should standardise data collection and recording methods, educate their workforce on DPP systems, and collaborate with supply chain stakeholders. While challenges persist, the DPP offers a transformative opportunity for the fashion industry.
Our digital platform, ettos , is poised to support fashion brands in this endeavour. It provides a comprehensive solution enabling brands to generate and attach a QR code, featuring the DPP, to each individual garment. This QR code serves as a portal for customers to trace the product journey from raw material sourcing to manufacturing to end product. By leveraging ettos , fashion brands empower consumers with profound insights into the product's origin and production processes, ultimately fostering trust and promoting sustainability.
WBCSD and BCG Publications:
To navigate the complexities of the new EU regulations and prepare for the implementation of the Digital Product Passport, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have released a series of informative publications. These resources provide invaluable insights and actionable guidance for companies in the fashion industry:
"The EU Digital Product Passport shapes the future of value chains: What it is and how to prepare":
This comprehensive report offers an overview of the policy perspective and corporate guidance related to the DPP. It illustrates how the passport can transform the electronics value chain and highlights potential scenarios for various actors.
"Enabling circularity through transparency: Introducing the EU Digital Product Passport":
In this publication, WBCSD and BCG delve deeper into the regulation and its uncertainties. It focuses on the importance of transparency in enabling a circular economy. The report analyses different options that could shape regulation and identifies key implications.
"Navigating uncertainties of the EU Digital Product Passport: How to prepare now as a company":
This publication outlines clear, actionable measures that companies can take to prepare for the implementation of the DPP. It serves as a valuable resource for fashion brands aiming to align their practices with the new regulations.
How ettos aligns with the DPP:
Our platform offers brands the necessary software to ensure products adhere to the EU Digital Product Passport requirements effectively. By integrating our solution into their supply chain processes, brands can easily substantiate ESG claims and trace their supply chain. By attaching a unique QR code to each garment, it enables customers to access detailed information about the product's journey. This transparency fosters trust, empowers responsible consumption, and aligns with the core principles of the DPP.
The EU's announcement of the Digital Product Passport represents a significant step towards achieving transparency and circularity in supply chains. For fashion brands, this initiative provides an opportunity to enhance transparency and foster trust among consumers. By leveraging our comprehensive digital platform , fashion brands can easily adapt to the new regulations and empower customers to make sustainable choices. Embrace the future of fashion by implementing the EU Digital Product Passport and our innovative solution. Together, we can shape a more transparent and responsible fashion industry.