Digital product passports
A digital product passport refers to a comprehensive and professional documentation system that digitally records and stores detailed information about a fashion product throughout its entire lifecycle. It serves as a digital identity and information hub, providing transparency, traceability, and accountability for the product’s sourcing, manufacturing, materials, environmental impact, and social aspects.
Transparency and traceability.
A digital product passport ensures transparency by making essential information readily available to users, retailers, and other stakeholders in the fashion industry. It includes details about the product’s origin, materials, manufacturing processes, and certifications. By providing this information in a digital format, stakeholders can easily access and verify the authenticity and sustainability claims of the product. This transparency promotes trust and allows users to make informed choices based on their values and preferences.
Sourcing and supply chain visibility
A digital product passport enables visibility into the sourcing and supply chain of fashion products. It documents the journey of materials from raw sourcing to the final product, capturing information about suppliers, manufacturers, and subcontractors involved. This visibility helps identify potential risks, such as labor violations or environmental impacts, and facilitates responsible sourcing practices. By understanding the complete supply chain, brands and users can support ethical and sustainable fashion.
Environmental impact assessment
The digital product passport contains data about the environmental impact of a fashion product, such as its carbon footprint, water usage, energy utilization, and waste generation. This information allows stakeholders to assess the product’s sustainability credentials and make comparisons with other alternatives. It helps drive the adoption of environmentally friendly practices, encourages the use of sustainable materials, and supports efforts to reduce the industry’s overall ecological footprint.
Social responsibility and ethical considerations
In addition to environmental impact, a digital product passport can incorporate information related to social responsibility and ethical considerations. It may include details about fair labor practices, worker welfare, and compliance with social standards. By providing insights into the social aspects of production, the passport encourages brands to prioritize fair working conditions and helps users align their values with responsible fashion choices.
Circular economy facilitation
Digital product passports play a crucial role in promoting a circular economy within the fashion industry. They capture information about a product’s durability, reparability, and recyclability, facilitating the implementation of circular practices. This data can inform decisions on repair, refurbishment, and end-of-life options. By enabling effective recycling and upcycling, the passport supports efforts to reduce waste and extend the lifespan of fashion products, fostering a more sustainable industry.
User empowerment and education
The digital product passport empowers users by providing them with comprehensive information about the products they purchase. It allows users to evaluate the sustainability and ethical attributes of a fashion item, aligning their choices with their values. The passport can also serve as an educational tool, raising awareness about the environmental and social impact of fashion use. It helps users understand the value of responsible choices and encourages a more conscious approach to fashion.
Industry collaboration and standardization
The implementation of digital product passports requires collaboration and standardization among industry stakeholders. Establishing common frameworks and protocols ensures consistency and interoperability across brands and products. This collaboration enables the exchange of reliable and accurate information, enhances industry-wide transparency, and drives continuous improvement in sustainability practices.
Case studies
Levi’s and Levi’s SecondHand
Levi’s, a well-known denim brand, has launched a digital product passport initiative called Levi’s SecondHand. This program aims to extend the lifecycle of Levi’s products by enabling customers to buy and sell used garments through a dedicated online platform. The digital passport provides information about the product’s history, including previous ownership, repairs, and customization, enhancing the transparency and value of pre-owned Levi’s items.
Eileen Fisher’s Renew Takeback Program
Eileen Fisher, a sustainable fashion brand, operates a Renew Takeback Program that encourages customers to return their worn garments. As part of the program, the company uses a digital product passport to track and document the lifecycle of each returned garment. This passport includes information about the materials, production processes, and subsequent reuse or recycling of the item, promoting a circular economy and reducing textile waste.
Farfetch and Positively Farfetch
Farfetch, a global luxury fashion platform, has launched a sustainability initiative called Positively Farfetch. As part of this program, the company is developing a digital product passport system to provide customers with information about the sustainability credentials of the products available on their platform. The passport will include details about materials, production methods, and certifications, allowing customers to make more sustainable choices.
Reformation’s RefScale
Reformation, a sustainable fashion brand, has implemented a tool called RefScale that functions as a digital product passport. RefScale provides customers with detailed information about the environmental impact of each garment, including water usage, carbon emissions, and waste generated during production. By quantifying the environmental footprint, RefScale enables users to make informed decisions and supports Reformation’s commitment to sustainability.
References
Impact of international, open standards on circularity in Europe_. GS1 in Europe. (2022, November 18). https://gs1.eu/news/impact-of-international-open-standards-on-circularity-in-europe/
Team, B., & Company, M. &. (2022a, March 2). The year ahead: What product passports will do for brands. The Business of Fashion. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/the-state-of-fashion-2022-bof-mckinsey-product-passport-technology-resale-luxury-counterfeit/
Candour.Digital. (n.d.). Digital product passports, what are they, and why should we care?. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-product-passports-what-why-should-we-care-candourdigital/
This start-up is making digital passports… for clothes. here’s what that means for the fashion industry_. World Economic Forum. (n.d.). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/tracking-fashion-clothes-sustainable/
Remington, W. by C. (n.d.). Circular.fashion backs push for digital product passports. Ecotextile News. https://www.ecotextile.com/2022101729950/materials-production-news/circular-fashion-backs-push-for-digital-product-passports.html
Plociennik, Christiane, et al. “Requirements for a Digital Product Passport to Boost the Circular Economy.” INFORMATIK 2022 (2022).