In short: The EU is introducing a digital product passport for apparel under its Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The European Commission plans to adopt the textiles rules in the fourth quarter of 2027, with obligations expected to apply from 2028 at the earliest. The passport is about materials, origin, repair and recycling, reached through a QR code on the product. HollaJack’s certificate of ownership is a different, narrower record: who made one specific piece and who has owned it.
What is a digital product passport?
A digital product passport (DPP) is a digital record about a product, reached through a data carrier on the product itself, such as a QR code, and at online points of sale. It is being introduced in the EU under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, known as ESPR. The European Commission lists textile apparel among the priority product groups in its ESPR Working Plan 2025 to 2030 (European Commission: Textile apparel and the DPP).
When does the passport apply to t-shirts?
The Commission’s planned date for adopting the ESPR delegated act for textiles is the fourth quarter of 2027. That act will set the exact information requirements. Industry analyses expect a transition period after adoption, which places the first obligations in 2028 or later (Carbonfact: DPP for textiles). The rules apply to products placed on the EU market. HollaJack currently ships only within the US.
What information will a textile passport carry?
The Commission describes likely content including product identification, fibre composition under the textile labelling rules, use and repair guidance, end-of-life and recycling information, origin details, and the identity of the businesses involved. It notes that the exact requirements will be defined by the delegated act and supporting technical specifications.
How is a passport different from a certificate of ownership?
They answer different questions. A passport describes a product model and its environmental story. A certificate of ownership describes one physical piece and its social story: who made it and whose hands it has passed through.
| Compared on | EU digital product passport (planned) | HollaJack certificate of ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Sustainability, repair and recycling information | Provenance and ownership of one piece |
| Required by | EU regulation (ESPR), for products sold in the EU | Issued voluntarily by HollaJack |
| Typical level | Defined per product group by the delegated act | One certificate per physical piece |
| Reached through | A data carrier on the product, such as a QR code | A public page and QR code |
| Records owners | Not a stated purpose | Yes, first name and last initial publicly |
| Records transfers | Not a stated purpose | Yes, each transfer needs the recipient to accept |
| Timing | Delegated act planned Q4 2027 | Live on HollaJack now |
Why does piece-level provenance matter for apparel?
Most clothing is anonymous once it leaves the shop. A passport will make the materials and origin of a product traceable. It does not tell you that this particular shirt was the forty-eighth of a run by a named artist, or who owned it before you. For art you wear, that second kind of record is what gives a resale or a gift its meaning.
That is the record HollaJack keeps for every piece it sells: a certificate of ownership whose history is hashed and chained so it cannot be quietly rewritten, paired with an edition number written to the order. It is not a replacement for a regulatory passport, and it is not on a blockchain today. It is designed so the record could be anchored to one later without changing its structure.
Frequently asked questions
Is HollaJack’s certificate an EU digital product passport?
No. The EU passport is a regulatory record about materials, origin, repair and recycling. HollaJack’s certificate is a provenance record about one piece: what it is, who made it and who owns it.
When will t-shirts sold in the EU need a digital product passport?
The European Commission plans to adopt the textiles delegated act in the fourth quarter of 2027. Obligations are expected to follow after a transition period, so 2028 at the earliest.
Will the passport use a QR code?
The Commission says the passport will be accessible through a data carrier on the product, such as a QR code, and at online points of sale.
Regulatory dates as published by the European Commission, checked October 2026. Plans can change; follow the Commission’s page for the current timeline.