How Does Such a Digital Passport Work Without Electronics?
With the support of the FPS Public Health through the federal circular programme "Belgium Builds Back Circular" (BBBC), this project is developing an accessible digital solution for the textile sector. Twintag, a Belgian software company, together with EE labels, is designing a simple and sustainable solution: a woven label with a unique QR code for each garment.
Scanning the code gives access to the garment's 'digital identity', with information about its material, origin and recommended care, etc. However, via the same channel you can also register products, get styling advice, report problems, request repairs or even resell the garments through specialist websites, thereby extending their lifespan.
As a producer, you therefore reuse 1 label in order to be both compliant with the new legislation as well as more efficient internally and improve customer loyalty directly from the product.
A Smart Label, Many Advantages: Traceable, Transparent and Future-Oriented
The digital passports are not only interesting for big players, small brands and studios can also use them. The user-friendly visual editor allows companies to create and customise their own digital passports. With no need for technical expertise, just using AI (of course) to significantly speed up the process.
In a Europe that is fully focused on a more sustainable society, tracking data at the individual product level has a key role to play. Ultimately, every regulated product will have to have a digital product passport. On this matter, the European Union recently adopted the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation in the context of the Green Deal, and has the ambition to be climate neutral by 2050.
Making materials traceable creates more efficient logistics management and increases transparency within the supply chain. On top of that, it facilitates circularity, not only from the perspective of compliance but also by offering additional value: products can be more easily repaired, recycled or reused. The project is also in line with future regulations, which stipulate that information on the origin, composition and life cycle of products must be available.
The project is starting in the textile and interior design sector, but the project leaders are also exploring applications in other fields such as electronics, where the right to repair and longer product life are becoming increasingly important.
Smart Innovation Made Possible with Federal Support
With the support of the "Belgium Builds Back Circular" fund, financed by the European recovery plan NextGenerationEU, the initiators Twintag, EE labels and Wardenburg got the chance to develop, test and fine-tune their project. The FPS Public Health supports projects that aim to optimise the use of materials and components throughout the entire life cycle of a product. The project is in line with the federal government's broader strategy to accelerate the circular transition in Belgium.
This financial breathing space allowed the project developers to develop a solution that is not only practical and future-oriented, but also accessible to smaller businesses.
Designed to evolve along with European regulations, the system makes circularity concrete and applicable to any type of business.
