At Reselo, we’ve built our business on a simple but powerful idea: what if the by-products of one industry could become the high-performance materials of another? Our flagship material is derived from birch bark, a residual stream from the paper and plywood industries. But as the demand for sustainable, transparent supply chains grows, so does the need for robust documentation. The rise of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) signals a new era for material producers and brands alike. For companies like ours, this shift could be an opportunity to prove the value of circular, biobased innovation.
Today, our customers increasingly ask for more than just a high-quality material. They want proof of origin, composition, and environmental impact. At Reselo, we’ve always prioritized transparency. Here’s how we do it:
Batch-Level Traceability:
Every production batch is documented in our inventory system, allowing us to trace each kilogram of material back to its supplier.
Supplier Partnerships:
We work with established paper mills and plywood manufacturers, where birch bark is a by-product of existing industrial processes. These suppliers have decades of experience managing certified wood supply chains, many of which are FSC-certified.
Residual-First Philosophy:
Our feedstock is always a residual material—never sourced from trees harvested specifically for our production. In some cases, the bark we use has been stored for years, reinforcing that we’re valorizing waste, not driving new extraction.
Compliance and Safety:
We provide documentation on biobased content, material composition, carbon footprint, and regulatory compliance; typically through technical data sheets and direct contact with suppliers.
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an interesting step in the right direction. While footwear isn’t included in the EU’s first ESPR Working Plan (with a preparatory study expected by the end of 2027), the writing is on the wall: DPPs are coming, and they will reshape how materials are sourced, documented, and valued.
For material producers like Reselo, DPPs present a chance to:
• Level the Playing Field: Greater transparency could allow innovative biobased materials to compete more fairly with conventional, fossil-based alternatives. When brands can see the full environmental story behind a material, the advantages of circular, low-impact options become undeniable.
• Strengthen Collaboration: DPPs will create clearer expectations around data sharing between suppliers and brands. This could foster deeper partnerships, as both parties work toward common sustainability goals.
• Highlight Hidden Value: For us, DPPs are an opportunity to showcase the environmental benefits of using industrial side streams, materials that would otherwise be burned or discarded. Being able to showcase this through clearer emphasis on transparency would be fantastic.
Of course, the transition will be a journey:
• Complexity of Footwear: A single shoe can contain dozens of materials and components from multiple suppliers. For material producers, this means our data must be interoperable, standardized, and easy to integrate into broader product passports. The DPPs for footwear could however also shine a light on the complexity of components of a shoe – which would make it easier for us to showcase the comparative benefits Reselo Rubber have – today, few brands showcase the full list of materials used in a shoe.
• Administrative Burden: It’s no secret that startups and SMEs sometimes struggle to find the resources to comply with the additional reporting requirements. We hope that this will be taken into consideration in for example future availability in support for reporting costs.
• Proportionality: The regulatory burden must be balanced to ensure it doesn’t stifle innovation. After all, the goal is to accelerate the shift to sustainable materials, not slow it down with red tape.
Digital Product Passports are about trust, innovation, and leadership. For material producers, it could be a chance to prove that sustainability and performance aren’t mutually exclusive. For brands, it’s an opportunity to make smarter, more informed choices about the materials they use. And for consumers, it’s a chance to better understand where the products we consume and use are entangled in resources and production across the world.
At Reselo, we will always embrace transparency. The more we can demonstrate the origin, impact, and value of our materials, the faster we can drive the shift toward a circular economy. The future of materials is traceable, sustainable, and collaborative.