The DPP challenge for textile SMEs

Textile supply chains are highly fragmented. Product information may be distributed across manufacturers, suppliers, certificates, spreadsheets, ERP systems and other sources. For many SMEs, implementing a Digital Product Passport therefore starts not with a new software system, but with identifying, connecting and validating the information that already exists across the supply chain.

From supply-chain evidence to a Digital Product Passport

A practical DPP architecture can separate the collection and verification of source evidence from the publication of product-level information.

This includes product identification, supply-chain traceability, sustainability and conformity information, supporting evidence, and mechanisms for making the resulting product information accessible through a data carrier.

Digital Product Passports should not become isolated data silos. Product identification and data exchange can be designed around interoperable standards and specifications, including GS1 Digital Link and the UN Transparency Protocol (UNTP), while remaining adaptable to the requirements established under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and product-specific delegated acts.

An implementation from the Prato textile ecosystem

Reeco is developing a textile-focused product trust infrastructure that connects product identity, supply-chain evidence and Digital Product Passport publication.

The approach is designed to support both structured enterprise environments and SMEs that may not operate a dedicated PLM system, allowing existing product and supply-chain information to become part of an interoperable DPP architecture.