Oh, so you've spotted my QR code! Maybe you have been at Logiville and seen me at the Cilo immersive room. If not, it is highly recommended.

But I guess you're just as curious about the Digital Product Passport as I am.

We decided to go step by step. At this point you get an introduction to the DPP and the story of the shirt. Later, when scanning again, you will get my passport. A promise.

But first my story.

I was introduced to the world on September 4th., 2025 in Niel, Belgium.  

Niel's industrial history is rooted in the literal building blocks of society—bricks. For centuries, the town's clay-rich soil fueled a thriving brick and tile industry, making Niel an indispensable part of Belgium's physical construction. It was a place where raw materials were transformed into tangible, durable goods used to build homes and infrastructure.

Today, Log!Ville represents a modern twist on this tradition of "building." Instead of creating physical bricks, Log!Ville focuses on building the future of logistics. It's a place where digital and technological "building blocks"—like automation, AI, digital product passports and smart systems—are developed and showcased to construct more efficient supply chains. The shift from shaping clay to shaping data and algorithms is a witty and symbolic parallel.

This place that once specialized in making things that went from "earth to end" is now a pioneer in the business of making sure things go "round and round." You're not just wearing a polo shirt; you're wearing a story about the past, present, and future, all woven into a single, circular polo-shirt.

The year is 2017. VIL is on a mission to chemically recycle polyester from textiles. They pull 50 kgs of white t-shirts from the market but find no one in Belgium up to the task. The quest takes them to Sweden—RISE in Gothenburg for recycling, then Böras for spinning and confection.

Meanwhile, Concordia is busy developing a rejuvenating process for cotton called Purfi.

Fast forward to 2025. VIL decided to revisit that Purfi process, this time for cotton. And that's when I was born!

I am the result of an entirely local journey:

• Ecoso collecting and sorting post-consumer textiles.

• Purfi performed the soft-mechanical recycling.

• Proudd, a Concordia partner, handled the confection in their factory in Portugal (! Yes, I travelled a lit bit)

• Avery Dennison and Atma.io for dpp support

• Cilab orchestrated and finalized the personalization at the Decathlon Service Center.

Check out my shirt—I'm about 50% recycled cotton and 50% recycled PET. I bet you've already seen my brother at Logiville; he's a cutie at 100% recycled cotton! 

Oh, and they gave me a label which will tell you later more about myself. 

But, why is this important?

"The Digital Product Passport is our North Star in the transition to a circular economy." (Ilias Iakovidis, DG Connect)

Product Passports will be your licence for a circular world. They give you the information on what's in a product, how to use it, how to maintain, how to repair and how to recycle. March 2022 the EU introduced the proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This new regulation specifies the Digital Product Passport. The ESPR has been official in June 2024 to be in force 18 months later. 

The transition to a EU market with more sustainable products is an ambitious and  resource intensive initiative. Therefor, the EU is prioritising based on the impact product groups will have on climate and materials. Textiles are considered as one of the priorities.