Eu fashion brands face infrastructure crunch as epr and dpp deadlines loom

As digital product passports and extended producer responsibility regulations near enforcement, European Fashion brands are racing to comply, but a harsh reality is emerging: the physical infrastructure to meet the demands isn't yet in place.

Epr shifts financial burden to brands

Extended producer responsibility, or EPR, shifts the financial and operational responsibility for a product's end-of-life back onto the brand. In theory, this creates an incentive for companies to design for recyclability and invest in the systems that handle returns, sorting, and processing. But in practice, those systems are not ready for the volumes EPR will generate.

Digital product passports fall short without infrastructure

Digital product passports, or DPPs, require brands to disclose granular data on product composition, supply chain, and environmental impact. But without investment in physical infrastructure, the impact of DPPs remains limited, argues Liz Alessi, founder of the Crisis of Stuff and a sustainability consultant.