12 August 2024, Mumbai
Impending sustainability crackdown by the EU is compelling Britain’s largest supermarket, Tesco to introduce digital product passports (DPPs) across its clothing range.
The retailer has agreed to provide shoppers with more information on each item in its F&F fashion range, such as where the materials in each garment were sourced.
The move is a result of Brussels’ efforts to boost supply chain transparency by rolling out new rules forcing companies across the Eurozone to introduce digital product passports (DPPs).
The rules mandate businesses selling everything from toys, fashion to furniture to provide detailed information on not only the materials used in their products, but also their environmental impact.
The scheme is scheduled to be implemented over the next eight years, with campaigners hopeful it will inspire a crackdown on greenwashing and poor supply chain practices.
Andrew Xeni, Founder, Nobody’s Child, an eco-friendly label that has already tested the passports, says, these passports will provide customers with an access to information that would enable them to make an informed buying decision, making them aware of the environmental impact of that product that they’re buying.
The scheme will be accompanied by new requirements on how companies manage their stock, including a ban on destroying unsold clothing. It is likely to cause a massive disruption among fast fashion brands, especially those having faced scrutiny over sustainability, states Xeni. Companies that do not meet the requirements of the legislation will be fined significantly and could even be prevented from selling their goods in the EU.
Joe Little, Head-Technical, Tesco, adds, an important step forward, these DPPs will encourage and promote sustainable and circular practices.
While touted as a boon for consumers, these DPP scheme could lead to conflicting regulations in Northern Ireland’s because of the Windsor Framework, warns European Scrutiny Committee.
