DPP in textiles - what the Digital Product Passport changes for fashion and apparel

Textiles and apparel are among the first priority sectors for the EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP). The reasoning is straightforward - the textile industry carries an outsized environmental footprint, and both consumers and regulators demand transparency. This article explains what DPP means for fashion brands, manufacturers, and importers, what data will be required, and how to prepare.

If you are new to DPP, start with our introduction to the Digital Product Passport.

Why textiles are a DPP priority

The fashion and apparel industry is the fourth-largest category in the EU by environmental impact. A few numbers illustrate the scale:

Fast fashion has doubled global clothing production in the past 20 years, while the average lifespan of a garment has dropped by 36%.
Over 5 million tonnes of textiles end up in European landfills each year.
Washing synthetic clothing is a significant source of microplastics entering the oceans.
Fashion supply chains span dozens of countries, making it difficult to verify environmental claims.

The European Commission concluded that without hard, verifiable data at the product level - rather than general claims on a brand’s website - it is impossible to meaningfully reduce the industry’s environmental impact. DPP is the mechanism to deliver that data.

ESPR timeline for textiles

The ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) is the legal foundation for Digital Product Passports. ESPR sets the framework, while detailed requirements for specific product categories are defined in delegated acts.

For textiles, the expected timeline is:

2025-2026 - development of delegated acts for apparel and footwear, industry consultations.
2027 - expected adoption of delegated acts specifying DPP data requirements for textiles.
2028-2029 - likely enforcement of mandatory DPP for selected textile categories.

The timeline may shift, but the direction is clear - textiles will be among the first product categories subject to mandatory DPP, alongside batteries (which already have their own regulation).

What data will be required in a textile DPP

While the final requirements depend on delegated acts, the European Commission’s work and the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles point to these data categories:

Composition and materials

Full fibre composition - percentage breakdown of all fibres (cotton, polyester, elastane, etc.).
Information on recycled content.
Presence of potentially hazardous substances (REACH compliance).

Origin and supply chain

Country of manufacturing (garment assembly).
Country of origin of key raw materials (e.g., cotton).
Supply chain due diligence information.

Durability and circularity

Durability score (resistance to pilling, stretching, washing).
Recyclability - including information on ease of material separation.
Repair and care instructions.

Environmental footprint

Product carbon footprint (cradle-to-gate or cradle-to-grave).
Water consumption in production.
Other PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) indicators as required by delegated acts.

Identification and access

Unique product identifier linked to a data carrier (QR, NFC, RFID).
Link to the digital passport accessible to consumers, market surveillance authorities, and value chain partners.

Impact on fashion brands, manufacturers, and importers

DPP in textiles affects different actors in different ways:

Brands and retailers bear responsibility for the product passport - even if they do not manufacture themselves. They must collect data from suppliers, verify it, and make it available in a compliant format.

Manufacturers and factories will need to provide structured data about production processes, composition, and material origins. This requires investment in data collection systems at the facility level.

Importers placing non-EU textiles on the EU market assume obligations analogous to brands - they must ensure every product has a complete digital passport.

In practice, this means the entire supply chain must collaborate on data exchange. Companies that already have good traceability practices will be better positioned.

DPP and the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles

The Digital Product Passport does not exist in isolation. It is part of the broader EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, announced in 2022. The strategy covers:

Ecodesign requirements for textiles (durability, repairability, recyclability).
Combating greenwashing - banning vague environmental claims without evidence.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textile waste.
Mandatory separate collection of textiles from 2025.

DPP is a central tool for achieving these goals because it provides verifiable data at the individual product level - not at the brand or collection level.

The role of product identifiers - GS1 and serialization

In the textile industry, a key challenge is identification at the individual garment level, not just the model (SKU) level. ESPR requires a unique product identifier, which in practice may involve:

GS1 GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) as the base model identifier.
Item-level serialization - each shirt, pair of trousers, or jacket gets its own unique identifier.
GS1 Digital Link - enables encoding the identifier in a QR code that routes to different data views (consumer, recycler, market surveillance authority).

For fashion brands, this means implementing serialization systems - a significant shift from current practice, where garments are typically identified at the SKU and batch level only.

How to prepare now

Even if the DPP obligation for textiles takes effect in 2028 or 2029, preparation should start earlier. Here are practical steps:

1. Data audit

Assess what product data you already collect and where the gaps are. Common gaps include detailed fibre composition, raw material origin data, and environmental indicators.

2. PIM setup

A Product Information Management (PIM) system is the foundation of DPP. Make sure your PIM can handle the required attributes - or consider implementing or switching systems. Check our integrations to see how myDPP connects with popular PIM and ERP systems.

3. Supplier engagement

Start conversations with suppliers about providing structured data. The sooner you agree on format and scope, the smoother the implementation.

4. Pilot on a selected collection

Pick one product line and create a pilot digital passport for it. This helps identify issues before the obligation becomes universal.

5. Identifier strategy

Decide on your identification system (GS1, serialization) and how you will encode identifiers on garment labels.

How myDPP helps with textile DPP compliance

myDPP is a SaaS platform purpose-built for creating and managing Digital Product Passports. For textiles, myDPP offers:

Ready-made data templates for textile categories - aligned with ESPR requirements and GS1 standards.
PIM and ERP integrations - automated product data import without manual re-entry.
Identifier management - generating QR codes with GS1 Digital Link for each garment.
Access control - different data views for consumers, business partners, and market surveillance authorities.
Scalability - from a pilot of a few dozen products to thousands of SKUs and millions of serialized items.

The platform is ready to use today - you do not need to wait for final delegated acts to start organizing your data and building pilot passports.

Frequently asked questions

Does DPP only apply to large fashion brands?

No. The DPP obligation will apply to all entities placing textile products on the EU market - regardless of company size. This includes large chains, smaller brands, manufacturers, and importers. Differences may exist in the scope of required data depending on product category.

When exactly does the DPP obligation for textiles start?

As of this article’s publication (April 2026), the delegated acts for textiles are in preparation. Adoption is expected in 2027, with the obligation taking effect in 2028 or 2029. We recommend monitoring European Commission announcements and starting preparations now.

Will DPP replace current composition labels on garments?

DPP will not replace physical labels - it will complement them. Fibre composition labelling will remain mandatory. DPP will deliver a much broader set of data available digitally, including environmental and circularity information that cannot fit on a physical label.

How much does DPP implementation cost for a textile company?

The cost depends on business scale, data maturity, and existing IT infrastructure. SaaS platforms like myDPP allow you to start with a small pilot and scale the solution as requirements grow - without building a custom system from scratch.