Digital Product Passport for fashion: what changes and how to prepare
Updated 4 October 2026 · 5 min read
In short.
- The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an online record linked to each garment, readable from a QR code.
- It comes from Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR). For clothing, the detailed rules will come in a delegated act that the Commission plans to adopt in Q4 2027.
- Obligations will apply after a transition period: there is time, but supply chain data takes months to collect.
What the Digital Product Passport is
It is a set of product information available digitally throughout the product’s life: in shops, online and through a data carrier on the garment itself, such as a QR code. It serves customers, repairers, resellers, recyclers and market surveillance authorities.
It is introduced by the ESPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on ecodesign for sustainable products, in force since 18 July 2024. The ESPR sets the framework; requirements for each product group are defined in specific delegated acts.
When it arrives for fashion
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 18 July 2024 | The ESPR enters into force. |
| 19 July 2026 | Large companies may no longer destroy unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear. For medium-sized companies the ban applies from 19 July 2030. |
| 20 July 2026 | The Commission launches the EU Digital Product Passport registry, with a testing environment. |
| Q4 2027 | Planned adoption of the ESPR delegated act for textiles and apparel. |
| After the delegated act | Obligations apply at the end of a transition period set by the act itself. |
Dates after 2026 are Commission plans and may change.
What it will contain
According to the European Commission, the passport for textile products will cover:
- product identification and characteristics;
- fibre composition;
- use, repair and maintenance guidance;
- information for reuse, resale, disassembly, refurbishment and recycling;
- origin and identification of economic operators;
- sustainability documentation and traceability data.
The parameters the ESPR allows the Commission to require (Annex I) include the product’s carbon footprint and environmental footprint. Which information will be mandatory for clothing, and with which method, will be decided in the delegated act.
Who does what
- Manufacturers and brands placing garments on the EU market: create the passport and are responsible for its content.
- Importers: check that products from outside the EU have a passport.
- Distributors and retailers: make sure the passport is available to customers.
- Suppliers (spinners, weavers, dyers, garment makers): no direct obligation, but they hold much of the data brands will have to publish.
How to prepare now
- Map your supply chain: for each product, who does each stage and in which country.
- Organise the data you already have: composition, weight, origin, care instructions.
- Ask suppliers for energy use per stage: it is the basis of the carbon footprint and takes time to collect.
- Give each product a unique identifier and decide where to keep its data in digital form.
- Align environmental communication: since 27 September 2026 Directive (EU) 2024/825 bans generic environmental claims that cannot be substantiated. Every figure you publish needs a source.
Where the CO₂e calculation fits
Even before the delegated act is published, many customers already ask suppliers for the carbon footprint of their garments. A calculation done stage by stage, with real energy data and a source for every value, can be reused when the passport becomes mandatory. For how to calculate it, see the guide to calculating a garment’s carbon footprint.
CarbonWear is the engine that calculates CO₂e in the ChainWear Digital Product Passport.
Start with one garment. The calculator is free and shows the source of every value.