The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a standardised digital record that follows a physical product throughout its lifecycle — from raw material sourcing through manufacture, sale, use, and end-of-life.
The regulation is part of the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and it applies to most categories of physical goods sold in the EU market.
Who it affects
The mandate covers any brand or manufacturer selling products in the EU — regardless of where you're based. If your garments are sold through EU retailers, shipped to EU customers, or distributed through EU channels, you're in scope.
The first textile categories go live in January 2026. This includes apparel, footwear, and household textiles.
What a DPP must contain
A compliant Digital Product Passport includes:
- Material composition and fibre content (exact percentages)
- Country of origin for each manufacturing stage
- Care and repair instructions
- Recycling and end-of-life guidance
- Supplier and facility identifiers
- A unique product identifier linked to a QR code or RFID tag
The data must be machine-readable, publicly accessible via a digital carrier, and kept current throughout the product's market lifetime.
The common misconception
Many brands assume the DPP is similar to a care label or a marketing page. It isn't.
The regulation specifies structured, standardised data fields — not free-form content. A PDF product spec sheet does not qualify.
The DPP must be queryable. Regulators, retailers, and third-party auditors need to be able to pull specific data fields on demand.
What to do next
Start with your supply chain data. Most brands already have 60–70% of the required information — it's just scattered across PLM systems, supplier sheets, and internal databases.
The gap isn't the information. It's the structure and the carrier.