Digital passports for fair fashion

This project focuses on developing a digital passport for textiles, linked to molecular fingerprints, that makes information about the composition, origin, and lifecycle of garments accessible and verifiable.

A major issue in the textile industry is that information about raw materials and production methods often gets lost once a garment is in use. Labels detach or are removed, and QR codes or RFID chips can be damaged. M-DPP offers a solution: by using molecular analysis techniques, such as spectral and chemical analysis, fibers and materials can still be accurately identified even after intensive use. That information is then linked to a digital product passport that is accessible to various stakeholders.

The system is being developed as open-source software and integrated with Web3 technologies, including smart contracts and decentralized databases. This enables it to not only verify sustainability claims, but also automate processes such as deposit-refund systems and extended producer responsibility (EPR). The project aligns with European regulations such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which will require Digital Product Passports between 2026 and 2030.

In practice, the system is being tested in collaboration with partners from the fashion and interior textile sectors, including pioneering circular brands like byBorre and New Optimist.

M-DPP is more than a technological innovation: it is a building block for a fairer, more transparent, and circular fashion industry. It provides consumers with insight, supports producers in their sustainability transition, and assists regulators in enforcing standards. In doing so, the project contributes to a future where we don’t just wear what looks good, but also know what is good.

"A new reality is emerging: soon you’ll know exactly what materials your garment is made of, and who was involved in its creation—like the credits of a film, but for your shirt."

Troy Nachtigall, Professor of the Fashion Technology research group

Link with education

Students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences actively contribute to the M-DPP project. They are involved in tasks such as data collection and testing technologies in real-world settings. This gives students hands-on experience with current challenges in circularity, ICT, and sustainability, and allows them to collaborate with leading partners in fashion and technology.

Results

The intended result is a functional, open-source digital product passport that links molecular data to digital infrastructure. This allows brands, regulators, and recyclers to verify the composition and sustainability of textiles at any stage of their lifecycle. The system also supports deposit-refund models and extended producer responsibility (EPR).

Team

• Troy Nachtigall – AUAS, Professor of Fashion Research & Technology

• Marcio Fuckner – AUAS, Responsible IT

• Christof Francke – HAN, Professor of Biobased Innovations

Partners / Stakeholders

• HAN Biobased Innovations

• New Optimist

• byBorre

• New Order of Fashion

• Candour.Digital

• Dutch Circular Textile Valley (DCTV)

• AUAS Responsible IT

Relevance to the research group

Within the Fashion Research & Technology research group—which focuses on technology-driven innovations in the fashion industry—M-DPP contributes to the development of circular urban ecosystems and sustainable production chains. The project is also part of the national programme Digital Product Passports in Practice by Regieorgaan SIA.