Textile
Fibre Composition in Textiles: Regulation 1007/2011 and the DPP
How the textile fibre composition label under Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 becomes a structured Digital Product Passport field: fibre names, tolerances, ISO 1833
Fibre composition is the oldest mandatory piece of information in textiles. Regulation (EU) 1007/2011, the Textile Labelling Regulation, requires the fibre names and their percentages by weight on the label of textile products placed on the EU market. The Digital Product Passport does not remove that duty; it makes the same data structured and machine-readable and adds the context a label cannot carry: the test method, the recycled share, the breakdown by component.
This article covers where the two regimes overlap and what has to change in your tech pack.
What 1007/2011 requires
The regulation applies to products containing at least 80% textile fibres by weight. Its core rules are short:
- Only the fibre names in Annex I of the regulation may be used; a trade name or brand does not replace a fibre name.
- "100%", "pure" and "all" may be used only for products made of a single fibre.
- Multi-fibre products list fibres in descending order of weight with their percentages; fibres that individually stay below 5% may be grouped as "other fibres".
- The label must be in the official language of the member state of sale.
- Non-textile parts of animal origin (leather, fur) must be indicated separately.
Tolerances are where most disputes arise. Technically unavoidable extraneous fibres may stay undeclared up to 2% of total weight (5% for carded products), and a 3% manufacturing tolerance applies between the declared percentage and the laboratory result. The analysis method is the ISO 1833 series for quantitative chemical analysis, the reference in market-surveillance disputes.
From label to passport field
A label is a sentence; a passport is a record.
| Information | Physical label (1007/2011) | Passport field |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre name | Annex I name, in the language of the market | Language-neutral fibre code, translated on display |
| Percentage | Percentage by weight, descending order | Percentage per fibre; optionally a tolerance band |
| Test method | None | ISO 1833 method reference, laboratory, report date |
| Recycled share | None (optional claim) | Share per fibre with a certificate reference |
| Components | Separate line for shell and lining | Component structure: shell, lining, pocketing, trims |
| Change | New label print run | New passport version; the old version stays archived |
In the JRC content proposal for textiles, fibre composition is at the core of the first phase; see textile DPP data points and DPP data fields. For the label and the passport to show the same composition, both must be fed from the same source record. Otherwise a label reading "98% cotton 2% elastane" next to a passport reading "97% cotton 3% elastane" is the easiest inconsistency market surveillance will find.
Blends and components
A single-fabric T-shirt is easy. For a lined jacket or a padded coat the regulation asks for a declaration per component, and the passport should mirror that. The practical rule: every fabric and filling item in the tech pack gets its own composition line in the passport. Trims (zips, buttons, labels) do not count as textile fibres, but recording them in a separate field helps end-of-life sorting; see separate textile waste collection and the DPP.
For blends that contain recycled fibre, the passport keeps the share per fibre: "50% recycled polyester" must make clear whether half of the polyester or half of the product is recycled. For the evidence side, see proving recycled fibre: GRS, RCS and the DPP.
What changes in a Turkish exporter's tech pack
- Move the composition line from free text to a structured field: fibre code, percentage, component.
- Ask the fabric supplier for an ISO 1833 test report, not only a declaration, and tie it to the fabric quality code.
- If recycled fibre is present, add the transaction certificate number to the same line.
- Keep lining, pocketing and filling on separate lines.
- When the fabric quality changes, open a new passport version and print the label from the same record.
Recording the fabric-quality-to-style relationship is also where mapping the rest of the chain begins; see mapping the textile supply chain. For data discipline see DPP data quality management, and for the sector context the textile DPP guide.
Frequently asked questions
Will the fibre composition label disappear once the DPP arrives?
No. Regulation 1007/2011 is a separate regime and the physical label duty continues; the passport presents the same information digitally as well. For the carrier side see DPP labelling for apparel.
Can the percentage on the label differ from the one in the passport?
It should not. Both must be fed from the same source record; the passport may additionally show the tolerance band and the test report, but the declared value is the same.
Can I put the recycled fibre share on the label?
The regulation does not require it; if you do, it must be provable. Carrying the share in the passport per fibre and with a certificate reference lowers the green claims risk.
