EIM by Jeanologia and BCome Link Factory Data to Digital Product Passport for Denim
Joint white paper demonstrates how real production measurements can be integrated into garment Life Cycle Assessments and structured for Digital Product Passports
EIM by Jeanologia and BCome have released a joint white paper, The Denim Passport, demonstrating how primary data collected during textile production can be connected to a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Digital Product Passport (DPP).
The study addresses a challenge facing the textile industry: although factories are increasingly measuring and reducing their environmental impacts, much of the information remains within individual facilities. Without access to supplier-specific measurements, brands may have to rely on industry averages that do not necessarily represent actual manufacturing conditions.
The collaboration aims to connect factory-level measurements with product-level environmental assessments, helping brands access more representative information about the impact of their garments.
“We need to understand what lies behind the product, connect the different stages and get the whole chain speaking the same language. Measure to understand, compare and improve”, says Begoña García, Director of EIM.
From Industry Averages to Actual Production Measurements
The Denim Passport presents a case study involving a 100% cotton denim garment. It combines two complementary approaches: EIM by Jeanologia measures the impact of finishing processes directly at the factory, while BCome integrates the collected information into the garment's Life Cycle Assessment.
EIM measures factors including water and energy consumption, chemical use and worker health. BCome incorporates this factory-specific information into the product's LCA while also accounting for impacts from earlier stages of the supply chain.
The study compares a conventional denim finishing process involving stone wash and potassium permanganate spray with Jeanologia's ATMOS technology.
Factory measurements recorded the following reductions with ATMOS:
- Water consumption: 96.3% reduction
- Energy consumption: 20.8% reduction
- Process-related emissions: 38.2% reduction
- Chemical impact: 77% reduction
- Worker health indicator: 93% improvement
The results are also reflected in the EIM Score, which decreased from 78 points, classified as high impact, for the conventional process to 17 points, classified as low impact, with ATMOS.
Improvements Assessed Across the Entire Product Lifecycle
By incorporating factory measurements into the Life Cycle Assessment, the study evaluates the finishing improvements in the context of the complete garment.
The resulting assessment shows:
- Global warming impact: 1.99% reduction
- Water scarcity indicator: 1.18% reduction
- Marine eutrophication: 9.88% reduction
The findings demonstrate how production-specific information can contribute to a broader understanding of a garment's environmental impact.
Connecting factory measurements with other product information can help brands identify the sources of environmental impacts, assess alternative production methods and make decisions based on data that better represents actual manufacturing conditions.
Digital Product Passport Requires Reliable Data at the Source
Upcoming European Union Digital Product Passport requirements for textiles have made the collection, structuring and sharing of product information an important priority for the industry.
However, a QR code or digital product sheet alone does not guarantee the reliability of the information it contains. For a DPP to be useful, its data must be linked to the product, properly structured and supported by reliable sources.
The EIM and BCome collaboration demonstrates an approach to connecting this information across the supply chain.
EIM captures and standardises primary data from finishing processes. BCome then integrates the measurements into the garment's Life Cycle Assessment, following the EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) framework, and structures the results for inclusion in the Digital Product Passport.
This process connects information that has traditionally remained separate, transferring data from factory operations into brand information systems. Environmental measurements can therefore serve not only as operational indicators but also as inputs for traceability, product assessment and preparation for upcoming regulatory requirements.
“The quality of a DPP depends on the quality of the data that feeds it. That's why collecting primary data from the supply chain is an essential part of the process”, say Alba García and Anna Cañadell, co-founders of BCome.
From Transparency to Data-Backed Decisions
The Denim Passport highlights the importance of connecting factories and brands to improve the quality of environmental information, substantiate product claims and reduce dependence on generic estimates.
For fashion brands, the next step is to connect the data already available across their supply chains and turn it into coherent, traceable information. Such information can support internal decision-making, product communication and Digital Product Passport requirements.
The white paper provides a practical example of how industrial measurements and Life Cycle Assessment can be combined to improve product-level environmental information, using denim as a representative category of the fashion industry.