What’s a digital product passport, and how is it set to change the fashion industry?

“The type of information it will contain extends across the full product life cycle from design through to end of life.”

What if there were an easy, straightforward way that consumers could find out everything they need to know about an item they want to purchase? Soon, there will be. The conscious consumer that the fashion industry aspires to target is demanding transparency on the products they purchase. Where sharing this information was once a pipe dream in the fashion industry, the introduction of the digital product passport is set to be a reality, and fast.

Accessible by scanning a barcode or QR code, digital product passports will contain all the information you need about an item’s environmental impact. By 2030, all textile products for sale in Europe will need one, and, likely, Australia will soon follow suit.

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For Australian suppliers and brands currently trading within the European market, the time to start planning for the introduction of digital product passports is now. With two of the largest sourcing exhibitions for the clothing and textile industries landing in Sydney next week, it’s the ideal time to embrace future-proof processes within the fashion industry.

To learn more about how digital product passports work and the positive ramifications they’ll have in terms of supply chain traceability and circularity, we spoke to Melinda Tually. Melinda is the Director of Ndless, an ethical sourcing and supply chain consultancy specialising in the fashion and retail sector.

She’ll be hosting The Digital Product Passport is Coming seminar as part of the upcoming China Clothing Textiles & Accessories Expo in Sydney on June 13, alongside a host of expert industry panellists. Ahead of the session, she shares why digital product passports could revolutionise the world of fashion, and where to go to learn more about them.

For the uninitiated, what exactly is a digital product passport?

A digital product passport (or DPP) is essentially a digital cache of information related to a product’s environmental sustainability, accessible by scanning a QR code or barcode, physically attached to each product. In relation to the fashion industry, the European Commission has mandated that by 2030 every textile product available for sale in Europe must contain a DPP in order to accelerate circularity.

The type of information it will contain extends across the full product life cycle from design through to end of life and will include data related to the percentage of recycled content, product durability, recyclability and traceability as well as its composition, the presence of harmful chemicals, certifications and more.

How are digital product passports set to change the fashion industry, specifically when it comes to sustainability and traceability?

DPPs will have a transformative effect. Their introduction is accompanied by a host of other European regulations including a requirement for eco-design elements to be embedded into products, a ban on the destruction of unsold goods (apparel, footwear and accessories) and tighter restrictions on environmental claims.

With the aim to promote transparency, circularity and sustainable product design, these requirements are designed to not only help customers make informed choices by understanding the environmental impact of their purchase but also facilitate reuse and repair by making specific product data available to recyclers and re-manufacturers. This product-level traceability is a key enabler of a circular economy.

Will they become compulsory in Australia anytime soon, and if so when?

Australian brands and suppliers wholesaling and trading directly with the European market will be in scope of this legislation so must start planning for it now. This includes small and midsize enterprises. It’s expected that DPPs will be operational from 2027 onwards so we are already seeing European brands conducting pilots with their suppliers given how much information needs to be collected and displayed. This is a profound change in how we currently source and communicate about our products so early preparation will be key to compliance.

Locally, DPPs make sense in light of clothing textiles being placed on the government’s priority list for product stewardship and the commencement of Seamless, Australia’s National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme. The information contained in a DPP is exactly what waste sorters, recyclers and re-manufacturers need in order to process excess textiles safely and effectively.

The Australian government’s recently developed National Framework for Recycled Content Traceability also recommends DPPs so it would be wise to expect we follow Europe’s development as our policy makers look to align with global requirements.

Is there a way China Clothing Textiles & Accessories Expo attendees can learn more about digital product passports?

Yes! Attend The Digital Product Passport is Coming panel on Day Two (Thursday, June 13) of the Global Sourcing Seminar at the China Clothing Textiles & Accessories Expo in Sydney. You’ll hear all about how brands can start preparing for it, featuring APG & Co, GS1 and Blocktexx.

Attending the China Clothing and Textiles Expo is free – simply register here. Seminars are a part of the Global Sourcing Expo held as a part of the China Clothing and Textiles Expo and are a program of 13, one-hour-long talks and panel discussions. Tickets cost $40 plus GST per seminar and can be purchased when you register.