Digital Product Passports: Redefining Transparency and Sustainability
A quick dive into the new Digital Product Passports, mandatory under European Union regulations, and soon to be mandatory for all products entering the EU market.
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Digital Product Passports: Redefining Transparency and Sustainability in the Outdoor Backpack Industry
The outdoor industry is built on a deep connection to nature. As environmental challenges grow and regulations tighten, brands are being called upon to prove, not just promise, the sustainability of their products. One of the most significant regulatory changes shaping this future is the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
For backpack manufacturers like KOWIDE Outdoors, the Digital Product Passport represents a major shift in how products are documented, communicated, and managed throughout their entire lifecycle. The DPP will become more than just a compliance requirement; it is a powerful tool to support durability, circular design, and informed consumer choice.
What Is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?
A Digital Product Passport is a mandatory digital record that provides a standardized, comprehensive electronic record of detailed data on a product’s composition, environmental impact, sustainability, and repairability throughout its lifecycle. Mandated by the European Commission, these, accessed via QR codes or RFID, aim to foster a circular economy.
Key Aspects of Digital Product Passports
Goal: To enhance sustainability, traceability, and circularity by providing transparency to consumers, manufacturers, and recyclers.
Information Included: Data on material origin, substances of concern, reparability, durability, and recycling instructions.
Target Products: The regulation applies to nearly all physical products sold in the EU, beginning with high-impact sectors such as textiles, batteries, and electronics.
Functionality: It serves as a digital bridge between the consumer and the product, enabling easier repairs, secondhand sales, and proper disposal.
Regulatory Framework: The DPP is a cornerstone of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and is crucial to meeting EU circular-economy goals.
By using unique identifiers, stakeholders can trace the entire value chain, supporting both regulatory compliance and better consumer decision-making.
How Digital Product Passports Came to Be
Digital Product Passports did not emerge overnight. They are the result of years of policy development driven by growing environmental concerns, fragmented supply chains, and a lack of reliable product information across the EU market. As products became more global and complex, regulators recognized that traditional labels and paper documentation were no longer sufficient to track environmental impact, material composition, or compliance with sustainability laws.
The concept gained momentum with the European Green Deal, launched to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050. Within this framework, the Circular Economy Action Plan identified transparency as a key barrier to sustainable consumption and efficient recycling. Without clear data on materials and construction, products could not be easily repaired, reused, or recycled.
To address this, the EU began developing a standardized digital system that would make product information accessible across the value chain, from manufacturers and customs authorities to consumers and recyclers. This effort ultimately led to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which formally introduced the Digital Product Passport as a legal requirement. The DPP was designed to replace fragmented documentation with a single, reliable digital source of truth, ensuring sustainability claims are verifiable, compliance can be enforced, and circular product design becomes the norm rather than the exception.
For industries such as outdoor equipment and textiles, the Digital Product Passport serves as a policy bridge between environmental ambition and practical, real-world product stewardship.
A Digital Identity for Every Product
Each product placed on the EU market will be assigned a unique digital identity, stored in an electronic system. This identifier will typically be accessed via a QR code, NFC tag, or similar digital carrier attached to the product or its label.
By scanning the code, stakeholders can instantly access reliable, verified product data, no paperwork and no guesswork anymore.
Photo Credit: iStock.com/Alexandros Michailidis
Mandated by EU Law
The DPP is required under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), part of the EU’s broader Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. Compliance will be mandatory for products sold in the EU, regardless of where they are manufactured.
For global manufacturers like KOWIDE Outdoors, this means aligning international production processes with EU sustainability standards. And being able to provide their clients with all the necessary information required to be compliant with the DPP regulations.
Supporting the EU Circular Economy
The Digital Product Passport is a cornerstone of the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, aiming to:
Reduce waste
Keep materials in use longer
Increase recycling efficiency
Lower dependence on virgin resources
For backpacks and textile products, this means shifting from disposable consumption to long-term ownership and responsible end-of-life management.
A Dynamic, Electronic Data Carrier
Unlike traditional labels or manuals, a Digital Product Passport is dynamic. Information can be updated continuously over time. For example:
New repair instructions
Updated recycling options
Regulatory compliance updates
This ensures that product information remains accurate throughout a product's lifespan.
What Information Will a Digital Product Passport Include?
Digital Product Passports are designed to provide clear, comparable, and verifiable data. For backpacks and textile products, this information will become increasingly detailed over time.
1. Origin & Materials
This section answers a fundamental consumer question: What is this product made of, and where does it come from?
It may include:
Material composition (e.g., polyester, nylon, recycled fibers)
Percentage of recycled or bio-based content
Source of raw materials, such as yarn suppliers or fabric mills
Traceability of key components like buckles, zippers, padding, and coatings
For backpacks, this transparency helps ensure responsible sourcing and allows customers to understand the environmental impact of different material choices.
2. Environmental Footprint
The DPP will increasingly quantify a product’s environmental impact using standardized metrics, making sustainability claims comparable across brands.
This can include:
Carbon footprint data across production, transport, and use
Water and energy consumption during manufacturing
Resource efficiency indicators
Chemical composition, including compliance with REACH and other EU regulations
For outdoor gear designed to protect nature, measuring and reducing these impacts is a critical step toward responsible manufacturing.
3. Manufacturing & Supply Chain Transparency
This section focuses on how and where a product is made.
Information may include:
Manufacturing locations
Production processes and technologies used
Compliance with environmental and social due diligence requirements
Supplier audits and certifications
For backpack manufacturers, supply chain transparency strengthens accountability, reduces risk, and demonstrates alignment with ethical and environmental standards.
4. Usage, Durability & Maintenance
One of the most powerful aspects of the Digital Product Passport is its ability to extend product life.
This section can include:
Care instructions to prevent premature wear
Cleaning recommendations that reduce material damage
Repair guidance, such as how to replace buckles, straps, or zippers
Expected durability and performance benchmarks
For backpacks designed for travel, hiking, or daily use, proper care and repair information can extend a product’s life by years, reducing waste and saving resources.
5. End-of-Life and Circularity Information
A product’s sustainability does not end when it’s no longer usable.
The DPP will provide guidance on:
Recycling options for fabrics and components
Disassembly instructions for material separation
Opportunities for reuse, refurbishment, or donation
Responsible disposal methods when recycling is not possible
Clear end-of-life information helps prevent backpacks from ending up in landfills and supports material recovery systems.
Why Digital Product Passports Matter for Backpack Manufacturers
With the introduction of Digital Product Passports and the European Union's legal compliance, manufacturers in our industry need to start preparing. But not all is bad, there are also advantages to be gained by manufacturers and brands.
1. Regulatory Compliance and Market Access
Without a compliant Digital Product Passport, products may no longer be allowed on the EU market. Early preparation reduces risk, avoids supply chain disruptions, and ensures long-term market access.
2. Improved Supply Chain Visibility
DPP implementation requires structured data collection across suppliers. This improves:
Traceability
Quality control
Risk management
Supplier collaboration
Greater visibility leads to better decision-making and more resilient supply chains.
3. Better Product Design and Innovation
When data on materials, durability, and repairs is tracked digitally, brands and manufacturers gain valuable insights that can drive:
Longer-lasting designs
Modular and repair-friendly construction
Smarter material choices
Reduced environmental impact
Sustainability becomes embedded in product development rather than added as an afterthought.
4. Competitive Advantage in a Transparent Market
As sustainability data becomes standardized and visible, brands that invest early in transparency will stand out. Digital Product Passports turn responsible practices into a measurable competitive advantage.
Why Digital Product Passports Matter for Consumers
For consumers, the DPP transforms how outdoor gear is evaluated and chosen.
It enables:
Informed purchasing decisions based on verified data
Easy comparison of products on durability and sustainability
Confidence that sustainability claims are real, not marketing slogans
Better care and repair knowledge, extending product life
For a backpack, a product meant to accompany people on long journeys, this level of transparency builds lasting trust.
Digital Product Passport Timeline: When Will It Come Into Effect?
The rollout of Digital Product Passports will follow a phased product-by-product timeline rather than a single start date. The legal framework under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force in 2024, establishing the foundation for DPP requirements across the EU. From there, the European Commission will introduce delegated acts that define detailed data requirements and timelines for specific product categories.
Batteries will be the first sector required to carry Digital Product Passports, starting in 2027, reflecting their high environmental impact and complex supply chains.
Textiles, including apparel, footwear, and backpacks, are expected to follow shortly after, with implementation anticipated within a year of the batteries, as data standards and infrastructure mature.
Electronics, furniture, and additional product groups will be added progressively.
Importantly, data requirements will expand over time, meaning early versions of DPPs may focus on core information, while future updates will include more detailed environmental, repair, and circularity data.
KOWIDE Outdoors: Preparing for a Transparent Future
At KOWIDE Outdoors, durability, functionality, and responsibility are already core principles. Digital Product Passports reinforce these values by making product information transparent, accessible, and actionable.
As regulations evolve, one thing remains constant: the best products are those that last and whose stories can be trusted.
Digital Product Passports don’t just document backpacks. They help ensure every pack is part of a more sustainable journey.
Kowide Outdoors – Who We Are
We are a Bespoke Backpack and Outdoor Apparel Manufacturer from Taiwan, operating as both a custom backpack manufacturer and a trusted outerwear manufacturer for global brands.
A leading OEM manufacturer with over 50 years of experience supplying products to world-renowned brands across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Our world-class production facility in Vietnam, situated within easy reach of Ho Chi Minh City, is ideally suited to cover all manufacturing needs, from R&D, sourcing, and prototyping to bulk production.
Through technical expertise, ethical management, and rigorous quality control, Kowide Outdoors consistently strives to exceed client expectations, taking pride in helping clients achieve success by delivering the highest level of quality and unparalleled customer service.
