Glossary

Best practice(s) refers to the most efficient, effective, and reliable methods or processes that have been established as the standard(s) within the industry. These practices are developed through experience, research, and successful implementation, and they are adopted to improve productivity, ensure safety, reduce costs, and maintain high-quality standards in manufacturing or production processes.

A chemical product is any material or substance made through chemical processes or containing chemical compounds. These products can range from raw chemicals like acids and solvents to mixtures like paints, detergents, and cosmetics. REACH regulates the manufacture, import, and use of these chemicals in the European Union to ensure they are safe for human health and the environment.

The Circular Economy is an economic model and system that aims to keep products and materials in use. Unlike a traditional linear economy, which follows a "take, make, dispose" model, the circular economy emphasizes extending the lifecycle of products, promoting sustainable resource use, where products and their components are continuously cycled back into the economy.

The circularity refers to the practice of designing and managing products to minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and enable the continual use of resources through recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing. It focuses on creating closed loops in production and consumption where materials are kept in circulation and their value is maintained over time.

A climate-neutral economy balances environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic stability. It involves not only eliminating net greenhouse gas emissions but also ensuring sustainable use of natural resources, protecting biodiversity and reducing all forms of pollution.

A closed-loop recycling is a process where waste materials are recycled back into the same product or a similar one. Instead of being discarded or used for different purposes, the material is continuously reused within the same system.

In the context of the Digital Product Passport, a data carrier refers to the technology or format used to store and transmit the digital information associated with a product. The data carrier ensures that this information can be accessed, shared, and used throughout the product's lifecycle by various stakeholders.

In the context of data access and storage, decentralized means that the data is not stored in a single, central location but is instead distributed across multiple locations or systems. This setup ensures that no single point of failure exists, making the system more resilient, secure, and accessible.

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that provides comprehensive information about a product and its entire value chain, covering its origin, materials, environmental impact, and disposal recommendations. It aims to bridge the gap between transparency demand and the lack of reliable product journey data. The DPP was introduced by the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). 

A European Directive is a legislative act issued by the European Union (EU) that sets out goals and requirements for member states to achieve. Unlike a regulation, which is directly applicable and binding across all EU countries, a directive provides a framework or objectives that member states must incorporate into their national laws within a set deadline. Each country has the flexibility to implement the directive in a way that suits its own legal and administrative system, as long as it meets the directive’s overall goals.

ECHT stands for Enable Digital Product Passports with Chemicals Traceability for a Circular Economy. It is a European-funded project from Interreg NWE, gathering a consortium of organizations from the whole NWE area and beyond. ECHT aims to address of chemical traceability in value chains and to prepare for the implementation of DPPs, with a starting point in textile industry and a cross-sector dissemination with the developed strategies.

The Ecodesign is the practice of designing products with consideration for their environmental impact throughout their entire life cycle. This includes minimizing resource use, reducing waste, using sustainable materials, and ensuring the product can be easily recycled or safely disposed of at the end of its life.

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is a policy that aims at a more environmentally friendly design of products. It focuses on making products more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable, and energy efficient. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their lifecycle, from production to disposal.

The EU Textile Strategy is a plan by the European Union to make the textile industry more sustainable and circular. It focuses on reducing environmental impact, improving recycling, and promoting the use of eco-friendly materials, to create a more efficient system for producing, using, and disposing of textiles, making the industry more responsible and less wasteful.

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union (EU) . It proposes and enforces EU laws, manages the day-to-day affairs of the EU, and ensures that member countries follow EU rules and regulations.

The Green Deal is an European set of policies and initiatives created in 2020. It aims to make the economy more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It focuses on reducing carbon emissions, promoting renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and fostering a circular economy. The goal is to address climate change while creating jobs and promoting economic growth.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) infrastructure refers to the system and technology framework that supports the creation, storage, management, and sharing of Digital Product Passports. This infrastructure includes databases, digital platforms, and networks that ensure secure and efficient access to product-related information across the entire supply chain.

The interoperability is the ability of different systems, devices, or software to work together and exchange information, like data, seamlessly. It ensures that products or systems from different manufacturers or developers can operate in conjunction, communicate effectively, and achieve common objectives without compatibility issues.

Life-cycle refers to the entire process a product goes through from its creation to its disposal. It includes stages like production, use, and eventually, recycling or disposal.

A manufacturer is a business or person that makes products by turning raw materials into finished goods. They handle the production process, which might involve assembling, shaping, or processing materials to create items that can be sold to consumers or other businesses.

Policy is a set of rules or guidelines created by organizations, governments, or individuals to guide decisions and actions in specific situations.

In the context of the textile industry, raw material refers to the basic, unprocessed substances used to create fabrics and textiles. This includes natural fibers like cotton, wool, and silk, as well as synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon.

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It is an EU regulation that aims to protect human health and the environment from chemical risks. It covers all chemical substances, including those used in industrial processes and everyday products such as cleaning items, paints, clothes, furniture, and electrical appliances. This impacts most EU companies, as they are responsible for proving compliance and managing substance risks. Authorities can restrict substance use if risks cannot be managed, and in the long term, hazardous substances should be replaced with safer alternatives. REACH came into force on 1 June 2007.

In Europe, a regulation is a type of legislative act that is directly applicable and binding across all member states of the European Union (EU). It sets out specific rules and standards that must be followed by all EU countries, without needing to be incorporated into national law. Regulations ensure uniformity and consistency in areas such as trade, environmental protection, and consumer rights throughout the EU.

A resource-preserving economy focuses on using resources efficiently and sustainably. It aims to minimize waste, reuse materials, and conserve natural resources. This approach promotes practices like recycling, reducing consumption, and designing products that can be easily repaired or repurposed.