Collecting supplier sustainability data is one of the hardest parts of preparing for the EU’s digital product passport requirements. You know you need material composition, manufacturing locations, SVHC compliance statements, and certifications. You’ve opened your laptop, drafted an email to your supplier, hit send, and then waited. And waited. And maybe received a generic PDF about the factory’s “commitment to sustainability” that answered none of your questions.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Supplier data collection is the single biggest bottleneck in DPP preparation for most fashion brands, especially small ones. It’s not a technology problem. It’s a communication problem. And it’s solvable, if you approach it the right way.
This article shares what actually works when your suppliers are slow, vague, or resistant to sharing the data you need.
Table of Contents
Why suppliers resist (and why it’s usually not bad faith)
Before you get frustrated with an unresponsive supplier, it’s worth understanding what’s happening on their end.
Most garment factories and fabric mills, especially in major production regions like Turkey, Portugal, Bangladesh, China, and India, are receiving data requests from dozens of brands simultaneously. Each brand asks for slightly different information, in slightly different formats, with slightly different urgency. For a factory with no dedicated compliance team, which describes most suppliers working with small fashion brands, every data request is an interruption to their actual job of making clothes.
Common reasons suppliers don’t respond promptly include not understanding what you’re asking for (the terminology may not translate well), not having the data in a structured format (they know their fabric composition but it’s not written down anywhere standardised), fear that sharing data will expose them to scrutiny or liability, concern about confidentiality (especially around client relationships and pricing), being overwhelmed by similar requests from multiple buyers, and simply not having anyone assigned to handle this type of request.
Understanding these dynamics doesn’t excuse non-responsiveness, but it does shape how you communicate. The brands that get the best data from their suppliers are the ones that make the request easy, specific, and clearly motivated by a shared regulatory reality, not by suspicion or policing.
The two-email approach
In our supply chain mapping guide, we shared template emails for collecting supplier data. Here we’ll go deeper into the strategy behind those emails and what to do when the first attempt doesn’t work.
Email 1: The specific, regulatory-framed request
Your first email should accomplish three things: explain why you need the data, specify exactly what you need, and make it easy to respond.
The key phrase that transforms supplier responsiveness is: “EU regulation requires this.” This isn’t a favour you’re asking. It’s a legal requirement under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) that affects both you and your supplier, because if you can’t place your products on the EU market, your supplier loses an order.
Keep the request to six fields or fewer. Don’t send a 30-field questionnaire on the first attempt. Ask for factory name and full address, country and city of production, the processing stages performed at this facility, exact fibre composition and percentages for the fabrics they supply, whether they hold any certifications (GOTS, OEKO-TEX, ISO 14001, SA8000), and a REACH/SVHC compliance statement.
Provide a one-page template they can fill in. A Word document or a simple spreadsheet with clearly labelled fields. Don’t ask them to write a narrative. Give them boxes to tick and blanks to fill.
Set a clear deadline. “Could you return this by [date two weeks from now]?” is much more effective than “when you get a chance.”
Email 2: The follow-up with context
If you don’t receive a response within two weeks, follow up, but add context rather than just repeating the request. Mention the specific regulation by name (“the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, or ESPR”). Note that this requirement applies to all textile products sold in the EU, with key compliance deadlines approaching. Clarify that you’re asking every supplier for the same information, it’s not a special audit of them. And offer a short call to walk through the template together if any fields are unclear.
Most suppliers who were simply busy or confused by the first email will respond to this follow-up. The regulatory framing is important because it shifts the dynamic from “my buyer is demanding extra work” to “there’s a regulation that affects us both.”
When email doesn’t work: five escalation strategies
Sometimes emails aren’t enough. Here’s what to try next.
1. Switch to phone or video call
Some suppliers, especially in cultures where business relationships are primarily verbal, respond much better to a direct conversation than to written requests. A 15-minute call where you explain what a digital product passport is, why you need the data, and walk through the template together can accomplish in one sitting what three emails failed to do.
This is especially effective with suppliers where you have a personal relationship. Use it. Call the person you normally talk to about orders and production. Frame it as: “I need your help with something new that’s coming from the EU. Can I walk you through it?”
2. Embed data requirements into your purchase orders
This is the long-game strategy. Instead of treating data collection as a separate project, integrate it into the document your supplier pays the most attention to: the purchase order.
Add a section to your PO template that lists the data fields required with every order, material composition, facility address, certifications, SVHC statement. Include a line that says: “Order cannot be confirmed until the attached supplier data form is returned.” This sounds formal, but it works because it ties data provision to the commercial relationship rather than treating it as an optional extra.
3. Frame the benefit to the supplier
Suppliers who comply with data requests early are positioning themselves as preferred partners in a market where transparency is becoming a selection criterion. Help your supplier understand this.
You might say: “EU retailers are increasingly requiring DPP-compliant data from the brands they stock. Brands that can provide this data will win shelf space. If I can include your factory in my Digital Product Passport with verified data, that strengthens our partnership and makes it easier for me to keep ordering from you.”
This reframes the data request from a burden to a competitive advantage for the supplier.
4. Use Open Supply Hub to verify independently
If a supplier won’t confirm their own facility details, you can often verify basic information independently through Open Supply Hub. Search for your supplier’s name or address, if they’re in the database, you can confirm their location, see which other brands work with them, and use their OS Hub ID in your DPP records.
This won’t replace supplier-provided material composition data, but it can fill gaps on facility location and verification while you continue pursuing direct cooperation.
5. Make data a condition for future orders
For suppliers who are consistently unresponsive despite multiple attempts, you may need to make data provision a condition for continuing the relationship. This isn’t an ultimatum on the first request, it’s a last resort after you’ve tried the collaborative approaches above.
The message is straightforward: “EU regulations will require us to provide structured product data for every garment we sell. If we can’t document the materials and manufacturing details for products from your facility, we won’t be able to include those products in our EU catalogue. We’d like to continue working with you, but we need this data to do so.”
This is honest. It’s not a threat, it’s a factual statement about where regulation is heading. And for most suppliers, the prospect of losing a customer is a stronger motivator than any compliance argument.
What to do when the data isn’t perfect
You’ll rarely get perfect data from suppliers, especially on the first round. Here’s how to handle common imperfections.
Approximate composition percentages. Your supplier says “mainly cotton with some stretch” instead of “96% cotton, 4% elastane.” Ask for the target composition from the fabric specification sheet. Every fabric has a designed composition, the production reality may vary slightly, but the spec sheet gives you a number you can use.
Missing certifications. Your supplier says they’re OEKO-TEX certified but can’t find the certificate. Ask for the certificate number, you can often verify it directly on the certifying body’s website. If they can’t provide a number, treat the claim as unverified and note it as a self-declared claim in your DPP.
Incomplete facility information. Your supplier gives you a factory name but not a full address. Search for them on Open Supply Hub or Google Maps. Cross-reference with the address on their invoices or shipping documents. Most facility details can be reconstructed from information you already have.
Inconsistent data across orders. Your supplier reports different composition for the same fabric on different orders. This usually means they’re estimating rather than referring to a specification. Ask them to provide the mill test certificate or spec sheet, this is the authoritative source, and it should be consistent.
The principle is: use the best available data, note where it’s approximate, and improve it over time. A DPP with honest, imperfect data is far more valuable than one that’s either fabricated or empty. See our data requirements guide for which fields to prioritise
Building a long-term supplier sustainability data relationship
The first data collection round is always the hardest. After that, the process gets dramatically easier, if you build it into your ongoing operations.
Create a supplier data profile for each partner. Once a supplier has provided their facility details, certifications, and standard fabric compositions, save this information in your DPP platform’s supplier database, our guide to creating a digital product passport walks through this step. You won’t need to re-request it for every order.
Update annually. Set a calendar reminder to check in with each supplier once a year. Have certifications been renewed? Have they changed facility locations? Have they added new capabilities? A quick annual check keeps your data current without creating a constant administrative burden.
Normalise the request. The more routinely you ask for data, the less it feels like a special demand. Include data fields in every PO. Reference the DPP in every supplier meeting. Make transparency a normal part of your business relationship, not an awkward one-off conversation.
Acknowledge suppliers who cooperate. A simple “thank you for providing this data, it’s helping us build strong transparency practices” goes further than you’d think. Suppliers who feel their effort is valued are more likely to continue cooperating.
Your supplier data is your competitive advantage
Here’s the perspective that changes everything: the supplier data you collect isn’t just a compliance cost. It’s an asset.
A brand with well-structured supplier data can respond to retailer questionnaires in minutes. It can publish DPPs that name actual factories and specific materials, building customer trust that generic brands can’t match. It can identify supply chain risks before they become crises. And it can demonstrate compliance to regulators with confidence rather than scrambling to assemble evidence under pressure.
The brands with the best supplier relationships will have the best DPPs. And the brands with the best DPPs will have the strongest market positions. The data collection work you’re doing today, even the frustrating parts, even the unanswered emails, is building a foundation that will compound in value for years.
Scan or click the QR to see how supplier information appears in a live DPP.
Start organising your supplier data in a structured system.
Frequently asked questions
How long does supplier data collection typically take?
For the first round of requests, expect two to eight weeks from initial email to usable data, depending on supplier responsiveness and how many follow-ups are needed. Some suppliers respond within days. Others require multiple follow-ups, a phone call, and embedding the request into a purchase order before they engage. After the initial collection, updates are much faster, typically a few days for annual verification.
What if my supplier operates multiple factories and I don’t know which one makes my products?
Ask directly. Your purchase order should specify the production facility, and your supplier should be able to confirm which factory is assigned to your orders. If they operate multiple sites and can’t tell you which one produces your garments, that’s a visibility gap you need to close, for DPP compliance and for your own supply chain risk management.
Should I hire a third party to audit my suppliers’ data?
For most fashion brands, third-party auditing is overkill at this stage. The DPP requires structured data, not audited data (at least in the first phase). Start with supplier self-declaration and document what you receive. If your brand grows, or if you’re selling to retailers who require third-party verification, you can add auditing later. For now, focus on getting basic data flowing reliably.
My supplier doesn’t speak English well. How do I handle the communication?
Provide your data template in the supplier’s language if possible, or at minimum, use simple, concrete language with no jargon. Avoid terms like “sustainability disclosure” or “traceability framework.” Instead, use “factory address,” “fabric composition percentages,” and “certification name and number.” Consider using a video call with screen sharing to walk through the template together, visual guidance crosses language barriers more effectively than written instructions.
Can my DPP platform help with supplier data collection?
Some platforms include supplier management features, shared databases where suppliers can enter their own data directly, rather than going through email. This eliminates the back-and-forth of spreadsheet exchanges and gives suppliers a clear, structured form to fill in. If your platform offers this, it’s worth using, it standardises the process and reduces friction for both sides.
What if I discover my supplier data is inaccurate?
Update it! The DPP is a living document. If you discover that a fabric composition was reported incorrectly, or that production has moved to a different facility, update the passport immediately. The risk of publishing inaccurate data in a DPP is far greater than the inconvenience of updating it. Accuracy matters more than perfection, an honest correction is always better than an undetected error.
This guide reflects practical advice as of April 2026. Stay informed.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by the Wetrack team.
Some illustrations may be AI-generated in which case they are labeled. Report any issue.