ESPR & DPP - What does it mean for your Independent Fashion Brand?
- Allana McGowan
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The fashion industry is facing regulatory changes with the introduction of The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and future introduction of Digital Product Passports (DPPs). These new regulations will impact how you design, produce and manage unsold inventory with a focus on sustainability, transparency and circularity. Understanding these changes now will help your brand stay ahead and comply with upcoming requirements.
What is ESPR?
ESPR stands for The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, it’s an EU initiative aimed at making products more sustainable by enforcing durability, repairability, recyclability standards and introduce Digital Product Passports (DPPS) for transparency. For Fashion it also aims to ban the destruction of unsold textiles and requires you to use eco-friendly materials while designing products for a circular economy.
- It's important to note that the regulation is for importing products into the European union only.
What Are DPP’s ?
DPP is short for Digital Product Passports, an idea designed to improve transparency, traceability and sustainability across industries. DPP’s provide digital records containing key information about a product’s materials, origin, production process, environmental impact and end-of-life options (such as recycling or resale). These passports, accessible via QR codes, NFC chips or blockchain-based systems, allow consumers, regulators and businesses to track a garment’s journey from production to disposal.
What's the Difference Between ESPR and DPPs ?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are closely linked but serve different purposes in the push for sustainable products in the EU.
ESPR is a broad EU regulation that establishes mandatory sustainability requirements for various products, including textiles and fashion. It aims to improve durability, repairability, recyclability and energy efficiency, while also banning wasteful practices like the destruction of unsold goods.
DPP is a specific tool introduced under ESPR. It acts as a digital record containing detailed information about a product’s materials, production process, environmental impact and end-of-life options. DPPs aim to improve transparency and traceability byt helping consumers and regulators verify sustainability claims.
ESPR sets the rules for making products more sustainable, while DPPs provide the data to prove it.
Whats the likely timeline for the full introduction of ESPR?
ESPR was brought into law on 18 July 2024 however specific product groups have not yet been designated under the law and its full implementation is scheduled over the coming years. The final stipulations detailing the required data points for ESPR are anticipated by 2028, providing businesses with a clear framework for compliance.
The regulation mandates the introduction of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) for all goods sold in the EU by 2030. This is a general timeline idea so could change and is why we need to be keeping up to date with it regularly.
How can you stay ahead?
Begin preparing for these changes by collecting and harmonising relevant data to ensure a smooth transition to the new requirements. If you have recently became GPSR compliant (General product safety regulation, read our full article on GPSR here) then you'll have already started collecting data that can be used in a digital product passport.
You can also start to plan out ways in which you might be able to offer take back or repair programs to help keep your designs in circulation for longer to comply with the end of life mandates.
How will the ESPR impact Fashion?
The regulation will require garments to be more durable, repairable and made from sustainable materials, pushing brands to rethink their designs and supply chains. Additionally, it is expected to introduce a ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, meaning you will need to find alternative solutions such as resale, donation or upcycling for overstock. (More information on this below.) The introduction of Digital Product Passports will add a layer of transparency by requiring you to provide detailed information about the materials, sourcing and sustainability credentials of them. While this may seem daunting, it also presents an opportunity for you to stand out by prioritising ethical and locally made production.
The ESPR ban on the destruction of unsold clothing.
ESPR is set to introduce a ban on the destruction of unsold textiles, apparel and footwear. Under this regulation brands will no longer be allowed to discard or destroy excess inventory through disposal methods like recycling (in this context recycling is referred to as shredding), incineration, or landfill dumping. Products will have to be repurposed through reuse, refurbishment or remanufacturing (upcycling), which are not considered destruction.
Example: Cutting a t-shirt apart to create a new garment is permitted but shredding it purely for fiber recovery is not and this would only be considered the correct option if the garment was non-repairable.
The EU's goal is to prevent overproduction by discouraging brands from mass-producing and then destroying excess inventory—even for recycling—since this process often consumes energy and degrades material quality. As part of ESPR, recycling such as mechanical or chemical is seen lower on the hierarchy.
There are exceptions to this ban, such as health, hygiene and safety concerns, irreparable damage, refusal for donation or reuse and instances where destruction is the least harmful environmental option. Other exemptions include counterfeit products and items that infringe on intellectual property rights or are unfit for their intended use.
Comments