Circular Economy: Literature Review on the Implementation of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) in the Textile Industry

The development of a system to store and share key information about productlifecycles offers a key opportunity to improve the textile and apparel industry. Theintroduction of the digital product passport (DPP) serves as an inclusive tool that enablesindustry stakeholders—companies, suppliers, stakeholders, government organizations,public institutions, and consumers—to more accurately track the journey, characteristics,components, and environmental impact of products. This study explores the implementationand potential of the DPP, highlighting its transformative role as a bridge betweentechnological innovation and sustainability in the textile and apparel sector. By providingunprecedented transparency and traceability, the DPP disrupts conventional industryparadigms and facilitates sustainable practices. The findings highlight the DPP’s ability toconsolidate disparate data into a unified system that provides stakeholders with actionableinsights that were previously unavailable. In addition, the study identifies regulatory andoperational gaps and positions the DPP as a pioneering solution to these challenges. This issignificant progress toward operationalizing the principles of the circular economy andfostering innovation along the entire value chain. In line with the European Commission’s2020 Circular Economy Action Plan, the DPP complements initiatives such as the Ecodesignfor Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and improves product traceability. By providingstakeholders with reliable, comparable data, it supports informed decision making andpromotes transparency, decarbonization, and sustainability. This analysis underlines thepotential of the DPP to transform the sector into a better informed and environmentallyconscious industry.