A practical textile DPP data checklist

1. Establish the product record

Choose a representative product that your team knows well. Record its name, category, image, colour and size. Keep the product identifier in a dedicated field so it is not confused with an internal style reference or a supplier’s code.

A useful first question is whether a value describes the whole product model or an individual piece. Composition and care are often shared; a serial number identifies a specific item. Making that distinction early helps prevent duplicated or contradictory records.

2. Check fibre composition and supporting evidence

Collect fibre names and percentages from the specification used for the product. Confirm that the composition totals make sense. If the garment has separate components, make clear which information belongs to the main fabric, lining or other relevant part.

For any recorded recycled-content value, retain its source and calculation basis. Avoid turning an unconfirmed supplier estimate into a consumer-facing claim. The product record should reflect information your organisation can support.

3. Record confirmed production stages

List the applicable steps, such as spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing and manufacturing. Link each recorded stage to its country, facility or supplier reference where that information is available.

A supplier name is not a complete production history. Check that the stage recorded is the one the supplier actually carried out. If information is missing, create a follow-up task for the responsible team rather than guessing a location.

4. Connect documents to specific claims

Keep relevant certificate references and other supporting information with the product. Check the holder, validity period and scope. A facility-level document should not automatically be presented as a certification of every product manufactured there.

Agree who reviews these records when they change. A passport can be edited, but the organisation still needs a reliable process for maintaining the information it publishes.

5. Prepare useful care and repair information

Gather the washing, drying and other care instructions appropriate to the product. Add repair or take-back information where you can provide specific instructions or offer a service. Clear advice is more useful than a generic sustainability slogan.

6. Give each field an owner

Use a small review table with four columns: information, source, owner and status. Your product team may own composition, production may own facility records, and customer service may maintain care information. The important part is knowing who resolves a question.

In Item Twin, start with a product record, check for missing product information, and complete missing information before printing a test label. For a larger collection, prepare the import template once the pilot record is understood.

Read the textile DPP overview or explore Item Twin’s product data features.