Reconomy adding digital product passport service to textile EPR solution

Reconomy UK Ltd., a United Kingdom-based specialty recycling and waste management services provider, is partnering with Fabacus, a data technology business also headquartered in the U.K., to offer digital product passport (DPP) services as part of its textile extended producer responsibility (EPR) solution to help producers meet expanding European Union regulations.

Reconomy notes that textile producers in the EU soon will be required to integrate DPPs into their operations under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which came into effect earlier this year. The company says these passports are set to become mandatory across certain product categories, starting with batteries in February 2027 and textiles later that year.

According to Reconomy, the ESPR is a key part of the EU’s strategy to promote a circular economy and enhance sustainability across the product value chain, particularly in sectors that are resource intensive and have significant potential for circularity, such as textiles.

The company says DPPs digitally record essential information about a product’s life cycle, including material composition, weights, volumes, place of manufacture, carbon data, maintenance, ownership, care instructions and documentation. This requirement will apply to any products sold within the EU, regardless of where they are manufactured.

While detailed, category-specific requirements are being finalized, Reconomy says producers are encouraged to act now, piloting solutions to assess data readiness and bridge gaps early. The company adds that it has partnered with Fabacus to deliver a robust, data-driven solution that ensures compliance while enabling scalability and unlocking new opportunities for producers through DPP technology.

“This collaboration demonstrates how innovative technology and market-leading expertise can come together to drive meaningful change,” Fabacus founder and CEO Andrew Xeni says. “We are delighted to be working alongside Reconomy to deliver this solution through our data service and support producers in making significant steps towards a new retail landscape of transparency, sustainability and compliance.”

Reconomy says its offering will form part of its broader end-to-end textile EPR solution, launched in April, to help producers understand and meet their global legislative requirements and the timescales of different EPR programs. The offering includes regulatory monitoring, consultancy, data management, environmental compliance, material returns and end-of-life treatment.

“We are pleased to launch this additional offering to help textile producers navigate these evolving regulations, get ahead of the curve and ensure they understand and are well-placed to deal with their obligations,” says James Beard, head of voluntary compliance at Valpak, a Reconomy company. “Together with Fabacus, we look forward to working closely with our customers in this sector to implement digital product passports and help make them make better use of their materials, reduce waste and contribute to the circular economy.”