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Data You May Need to Collect for the EU

The EU increasingly wants to know about your manufacturing practices and environmental impact. Depending on your products and company size, you may need to provide some of this data. Our platform helps you organize and verify it all in one place.

What Data Categories Might You Need?

What We're Looking For Who Typically Provides It Why It Matters How We Verify It
Where Your Fibres Come From Your suppliers EU needs to know materials are legal and traceable Supplier declarations + invoices + shipping docs
Recycled Content Your recycling suppliers If you claim "recycled," it must be certified GRS or Textile Exchange certificates
Wood-Based Fibres (viscose, modal, lyocell) Your fibre suppliers Must prove they don't come from deforested land FSC or PEFC forest certifications
Natural Rubber Your suppliers Must prove ethical sourcing Plantation documentation + audit reports
Energy & Renewables Your facilities How much of your production uses clean energy? Electricity bills + renewable energy certificates
Water Usage Your dyeing/finishing facilities How much water do you use per kg of product? Water meters + production logs
Wastewater Treatment Your facilities How do you clean wastewater before it goes to rivers? Treatment documentation + facility audits
Carbon Emissions Your facilities What's your carbon footprint? Utility bills + fuel invoices + supplier data
Labour Conditions Your facilities Fair wages, safe conditions, worker rights? Audit reports (SA8000, SMETA, etc.)

Data Collection by Product Type

Apparel & Clothing:

  • Where fibres come from
  • Any recycled content (if you claim it)
  • Water and energy used in dyeing/finishing
  • How wastewater is treated
  • Your carbon footprint
  • Labour conditions at your facilities

Footwear:

  • Material origin (uppers and soles)
  • Recycled content (if claimed)
  • Where rubber comes from (if applicable)
  • Energy and water used
  • Your carbon footprint
  • Labour conditions

Home Textiles (sheets, pillows, upholstered goods):

  • Fibre origin
  • Recycled content (if claimed)
  • Water and energy for dyeing/finishing
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Carbon footprint
  • Labour conditions
  • Any flame retardant treatments used

How to Get This Data

From Your Suppliers:

  • Ask for supplier invoices showing where materials come from
  • Request sustainability reports (if available)
  • Document supply chain locations (which countries, which facilities)

Energy & Water:

  • Get electricity bills and any renewable energy certificates
  • Collect water meter readings and production volumes
  • Document your treatment process for wastewater

Carbon Emissions:

  • Gather all utility invoices (electricity, gas, fuel)
  • Get estimates from your suppliers for their emissions
  • Calculate your facility-level carbon footprint

Labour Compliance:

  • Get third-party audit reports (SA8000, SMETA, BSCI) for all your facilities
  • Review worker safety records and wage documentation
  • Check that you have grievance mechanisms in place

Recycled Content:

  • Get certificates from recycling suppliers (Global Recycled Standard, Textile Exchange)
  • Verify the percentage of recycled material
  • Get chain-of-custody documentation showing the waste flow

Wood-Based Fibres:

  • Get forest certification (FSC or PEFC) for your pulp suppliers
  • Document which forests the pulp came from
  • Verify it's not from recently deforested land

Why This Matters Now

Much of this data will feed future Digital Product Passport rules once the textile delegated act and transition periods apply (realistic mandatory timelines for textiles are more likely ~2029+—see ESPR & DPP). If you start collecting it now, you won't scramble later. Plus, large EU buyers already ask for this information anyway.

What to plan for (always confirm in EUR-Lex for your role):

  • Wood-based fibres (EUDR): Deforestation-free due diligence — 30 December 2026 for operators other than certain micro/small enterprises; 30 June 2027 for those smaller operators (EUDR).
  • CSRD: Mandatory reporting applies to very large in-scope companies (post-Omnibus thresholds — typically >1,000 employees and >€450M turnover; see CSRD). Buyers may still request similar data even when you are not directly in scope.
  • Textile DPP: Requirements fixed by delegated act (~late 2027 expected) plus transition — not a fixed “2027–2028 for everyone” date.

How to Organize Your Data

Best approach:

  1. Use a simple spreadsheet or database to track all sustainability data
  2. Link data to your products (SKU, batch number)
  3. Document where each data point comes from (which supplier, which facility)
  4. Update data annually
  5. Get third-party verification for any environmental claims you make

For DPP readiness:

  • Store data in a structured format (spreadsheet or database)
  • Make sure you can trace each product back to its suppliers
  • Document the calculation method for anything technical (like carbon)
  • Be ready to upload this when the EU registry / schema for your product category requires it (see DPP readiness)

Quick Checklist

  • Do you know where all your fibres come from?
  • Do you have certificates for any recycled content you claim?
  • For wood-based fibres, do you have FSC or PEFC certification?
  • Are you collecting energy and water data from your facilities?
  • Do your facilities have labour compliance audits?
  • Have you calculated your carbon footprint?
  • Is your wastewater treatment documented?
  • Do you have a system (spreadsheet or software) to track all this data?

What Should You Do Next?

Organise sustainability evidence for buyer and DPP readiness with a free compliance assessment.