The comprehensive playbook from TrusTrace, which features insights from Marimekko, Kappahl, GS1, Textile Exchange and Danish designer brand Ganni amongst others, offers readers a holistic, in-depth and practical step-by-step guide to everything fashion professionals need to know to prepare for the widely anticipated Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Unlocking DPP: The Why, What And How Of Digital Product Passports was unveiled at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.
The playbook from TrusTrace offers an essential guide for fashion industry professionals grappling with the data collection and implementation of the widely anticipated DPP, which will come into force in the European Union between 2026-2030.
It offers a data protocol for brands to follow to start collecting DPP data and setting up their digital systems for DPP implementation.
Nicolaj Reffstrup, co-founder at Ganni, who provided key insights for the playbook, encourages brands to act now said: “DPPs and corresponding legislation are coming for the industry – that’s something we should all be pleased about. We see it as an opportunity to heighten the level of information and transparency we offer consumers about products, but also as an opportunity to manage product data more efficiently, with the product afterlife in mind.
"It’s easy to see the hurdles and uncertainties, but we should all be excited about the data shift that will happen in the coming years. The quicker you prepare for compliance, the smoother the transition will be for you and your customer group. This guide is a great resource to get started on that journey and navigate the current uncertainties of legislation.”
Highlights of the guide include:
- A clear understanding of what the DPP is, why it’s set to become an essential part of business as usual, how it will work and when it will come into force.
- Who and what is in scope for DPP, and guidance on how to prepare for it.
- An overview of the data protocol to enable textile-specific product DPP data collection.
- Useful firsthand lessons from an end-to-end live DPP pilot for fashion products.
- Expert insights to help guide pragmatic, senior level action on beginning DPP preparation.
- An understanding of business opportunities that can be achieved with the DPP beyond simply a requirement to comply.
TrusTrace CEO and co-founder Shameek Ghosh commented: “As the industry shifts from minimal regulation to a significant surge in both the volume and intricacy of global laws, it's clear that the potential for it to become overwhelming is palpable. The DPP is no exception, as its extensive data demands on a per-product basis will necessitate gathering and validating data that has historically been hard to access.
"Nevertheless, true visionaries can look beyond the immediate disruptions and challenges and recognise the potential this data holds. The possession of detailed supply chain data empowers brands to adopt a proactive stance, enabling them to maintain control rather than being caught off guard by the inevitable disruptions. DPPs serve as a critical element in constructing the data, insights, and infrastructure necessary to drive a truly circular economy, as well as unlocking novel business opportunities, but how to effectively create and implement them is not clear today. This is what we are aiming to clarify in this book.”
The guide also highlights significant data gaps and how the DPP will address these by collecting and sharing circularity data.
It also identifies the three core components of the DPP: product data, unique identifiers and the required interoperable IT system (for decentralised data sharing). It also provides brands with the essential steps to successfully collect data and implement a DPP scheme.
The insights are the final chapter are derived from the pioneering Trace4Value project, a live DPP pilot led by TrusTrace to test an end-to-end DPP data and system infrastructure for textile products entering the EU market.
The pilot cohort embedded DPP carriers with live data into selected Kappahl and Marimekko products, which launched on the market in early 2024.
Commenting on the Trace4Value project, Sandra Roos, VP of sustainability at Kappahl said: “The operational components and requirements of the DPP are poorly understood, which is why we joined the Trace4Value project. We learned invaluable insights – such as the need for DPP data fields shown to consumers to be standardized – among many others, and we’re proud to provide our perspective for this playbook, to contribute to making it a comprehensive resource on what’s required for compliance with incoming DPP legislation.”
