ESPR by product group
ESPR for Textiles
Textiles, and apparel in particular, are a top-priority product group under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). A textiles delegated act is expected around 2027, and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) for clothing is widely tipped to be the first large-scale consumer DPP, realistically from about 2028. None of this is final yet, so we set out what is firm, what is expected, and what to start now.
TL;DR
- Textiles are a priority group in the first ESPR Working Plan (adopted 16 April 2025); the delegated act is expected around 2027 - indicative, not yet adopted.
- A Digital Product Passport for clothing is expected to follow roughly 18 months after the act, so realistically a mandatory textiles DPP around 2028 (provisional).
- A separate ban on destroying unsold clothing, accessories and footwear already bites for large companies from 19 July 2026 (this is firm).
- Start now by mapping composition, recycled content and supplier data - the fields a textiles DPP will most likely carry.
Status and timing
Where textiles stands today
Delegated act: Delegated act expected ~2027 (indicative, not yet adopted)
Digital Product Passport: Textiles DPP expected ~2028 (provisional, follows the delegated act)
- Apparel and clothing are the explicit priority within the textiles group named in the first Working Plan.
- A textiles delegated act is expected to set performance requirements (durability, recycled content, recyclability, substances of concern) plus information requirements carried via the DPP.
- Exact products and thresholds do not exist until the textiles delegated act is adopted - treat all current figures as expected, not law.
The 19 July 2026 ban on destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear is a separate, already-firm ESPR obligation for large companies - do not confuse it with the not-yet-adopted textiles delegated act.
Priorities and indicative timing come from the first ESPR Working Plan (2025-2030), under the framework of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781.
The data you will need
What a DPP for textiles will likely carry
- Fibre composition and material breakdown of each product.
- Recycled content and the origin of materials.
- Substances of concern present in the product.
- Durability, care and repair information for consumers.
- End-of-life and recycling guidance, plus the economic-operator and product identifiers behind the data carrier.
The exact fields are set per product group in its delegated act, so treat this list as the expected shape of the data, not the final requirement. See the DPP data requirements guide for the full picture.
What to do now
What to do for textiles
- Confirm whether you place textiles or apparel on the EU market, as a manufacturer, importer or distributor.
- Start collecting fibre composition, recycled-content and supplier data now - these are the fields a textiles DPP will most likely need.
- If you are a large company, prepare for the 19 July 2026 ban on destroying unsold clothing, accessories and footwear, and the related disclosure of discarded volumes.
- Track the textiles delegated act and the CEN-CENELEC DPP standards as they are finalised, since the exact requirements and data carrier will be set there.
- Use the DPP Readiness Checklist to structure the data you will eventually have to publish.
FAQ
Textiles and ESPR: common questions
- When will a Digital Product Passport be mandatory for textiles?
- No firm date exists yet. The textiles delegated act is expected around 2027, and a DPP typically applies about 18 months after an act enters into force, so a mandatory textiles DPP is realistically around 2028. Treat these as indicative Working-Plan estimates, not law.
- What data will a textiles Digital Product Passport carry?
- The exact fields are set by the delegated act, but a textiles DPP is expected to carry fibre composition, recycled content, substances of concern, durability and care information, and end-of-life guidance, reached via a QR code or similar data carrier.
- Does the ban on destroying unsold clothes apply now?
- For large companies, yes: ESPR bans the destruction of unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear from 19 July 2026. Medium-sized companies follow around 2030, and micro and small enterprises are exempt. This is firm, unlike the textiles delegated act.
- Is the textiles delegated act adopted yet?
- No. Textiles are named as a priority in the first Working Plan (adopted 16 April 2025), but the delegated act setting binding requirements is still in preparation, expected around 2027. Until it is adopted, ESPR sets no specific textile thresholds.
- What should textile brands do before the rules are final?
- Start gathering composition, recycled-content and supplier data now, since these are the fields a DPP will almost certainly require. Getting that data in order early is the single most useful step while the delegated act is still being written.
Get ready for ESPR and the DPP
Work through the DPP Readiness Checklist, then explore the tools and guides built for your product group.
This is guidance, not legal advice
Sources
- [1]Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR), full text (EUR-Lex)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
- [2]European Commission: 2025-2030 ESPR Working Planretrieved 8 Jun 2026
- [3]Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (EU Battery Regulation), full text (EUR-Lex)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
- [4]CIRPASS-2: EU Digital Product Passport pilotsretrieved 8 Jun 2026
- [5]JRC: Digital Product Passport data-requirements methodology (JRC145830)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
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