[A summary of a webinar hosted by Centric Software and moderated by Green Retail World]
Each textile product sold in the European Union (EU) will need a basic Digital Product Passport (DPP) – a digital record of material origin, circularity guidance and general provenance around that product – by 2027 if that item is going to continue to be sold into the EU market.
It’s part of the wider Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation – ESPR for short – and is aimed at driving business and society towards more circular models and greater supply chain transparency. It is legislation that effectively enforces businesses to operate responsibly and in a way that is better for people and the planet.
That means 2026 should be a year of action for the fashion industry. Because to get to the level of granularity needed to comply, the work should really have already started. And if it hasn’t started, it probably needs to start now.
That was the premise of a recent Centric Software webinar, run in association with Green Retail World, whose editor Ben Sillitoe moderated the session.
The key takeaways from the event are highlighted below. The webinar featured Centric Software’s Hrishikesh Mohan, director of product management, sustainability & technology, and Mark Gaydon, account executive.
Download the webinar replay here to listen to the full broadcast
Myth busting
There are still significant sections of the fashion industry burying their heads in sand about DPP, with some saying “it will never happen” or “it will be watered down”. The evidence suggests otherwise.
In February, it was announced that, under ESPR, large companies are prohibited from destroying unsold textiles, clothing, and footwear as of 19 July 2026. This shows ESPR, of which DPP is a cornerstone, is active – it shows the EU’s circular economy ambitions are real and underlines how it is full-steam ahead for further regulation in this space
DPP as data transformation
As Mohan says: “DPP isn’t a compliance project – it’s a data transformation project.”
He suggests most brands are not struggling with what they need to do, but where to start because DPP touches so many parts of the business, including product development, supplier collaboration, compliance, and retail operations.
He argues that those retailers and brands leading on DPP are mapping where product data actually lives across systems, defining clear ownership between teams and partners, structuring data early in the product lifecycle, and building scalable processes to collect and validate supplier data.
“Brands need connected, structured product data across the entire lifecycle,” Mohan argues.
Marathon not a sprint, so time to get DPP fit!
On the webinar, the panellists discussed those companies which delay DPP preparation risk becoming reactive and actually incurring higher costs later on as well as lack of access to the large EU market.
Retailers and brands need to be aware transformation does not come quickly, and the onus is on starting now to ensure they are ready in time for when DPP is enforced, according to Gaydon.
“Getting ready takes time – it’s not a quick fix overnight,” he says, listing how retailers looking to comply must align suppliers, fix all the data gaps, build the right systems and get alignment across the business.
Using the London Marathon as an analogy for DPP, Gaydon asked: “How could you possibly compete or complete it if you hadn’t planned, had the right diet, and had not trained for it?
“What are you going to do, just turn up and hope for the best? You cannot enter a race like that and be unfit, it’s not a recipe for success.”
Gaydon urged retailers and brands eyeing up the future DPP legislation deadlines to “use the time wisely so you’re fit for what’s coming up”.
Action points
The webinar outlines what retailers should be doing immediately to be DPP prepared.
Firstly they must – if they haven’t already – assess whether their business currently falls within scope while also considering its future trajectory to anticipate potential compliance requirements further down the line.
They should standardise and centralise their data, and get on with mapping their supply chain beyond tier one – starting no later than this summer.
There is plenty more advice and inspiration, including some best practice examples from the retail world such as Nobody’s Child, Debenhams Group, and Reiss shared on the webinar.
Download the webinar replay here to listen to the full broadcast
Listen to the first webinar in the Centric Software-Green Retail World series
[image credit: Centric Software]
