Kinset and ProKnoWara Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Scalable Digital Product Passports
Dublin / Dhaka — January 28, 2026
Kinset and ProKnoWara Consulting Firm announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the implementation of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) across global consumer-goods supply chains.
The collaboration brings together Kinset’s SaaS Digital Product Passport and digital compliance platform with ProKnoWara’s deep expertise in supply-chain transformation, factory onboarding, and data readiness. Together, the two organisations will deliver an end-to-end framework that enables brands and manufacturers to capture, structure, and exchange verifiable sustainability and compliance data across all production tiers.
The partnership will support large-scale pilot programmes with EU fashion and manufacturing brands, with a focus on upstream data capture, interoperability, and practical implementation aligned with upcoming EU regulatory requirements.
“Digital Product Passports will only scale if brands can access high-quality, verifiable data from the point of production,” said Katie O’Riordan, Founder & CEO of Kinset. “This partnership brings together the digital infrastructure and the on-the-ground execution needed to make DPPs operational, credible, and future-proof.”
By combining digital infrastructure with operational execution, Kinset and ProKnoWara aim to set a new benchmark for scalable, credible, and future-proof DPP adoption across complex global value chains.
About Kinset
Kinset is a SaaS platform that helps brands and suppliers build Digital Product Passports and manage product-level compliance data across complex supply chains. The platform enables standardised data capture, interoperability between systems, and audit-ready product records that can be compiled into DPPs for regulated consumer-goods sectors. Kinset works with industry partners to make product compliance practical, verifiable, and scalable in real-world operations.
About ProKnoWara
ProKnoWara Consulting Firm is a Bangladesh-based strategic consulting and capacity-building organization supporting businesses in performance excellence, supply-chain transformation, and sustainable growth. Serving as a central hub between 100+ EU fashion brands and thousands of garment manufacturers across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, ProKnoWara bridges global market requirements with regional production ecosystems. By combining global best practices with strong local insight, ProKnoWara delivers practical consulting, training, and implementation support that enables organizations to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen compliance readiness, and achieve long-term competitiveness.
Proof beats claims. Kinset and GenuTrace are working together to connect scientific verification with brand-ready Digital Product Passports
Proving claims with evidence
Kinset is collaborating with GenuTrace, a consultancy focused on scientific traceability, brand protection, and product authentication. The team brings long‑standing expertise in forensic methods including DNA and stable isotope analysis, with tracer technologies where appropriate, connecting lab evidence to real supply chain decisions.
Together, we’re bringing that depth of verification into Digital Product Passports. By combining lab-proven origin data with a clear, brand-ready passport experience, we enable brands to:
- Show fibre origin with confidence
- Track chain of custody across suppliers/support chain‑of‑custody evidence
- Share product-level insights people can trust
This approach not only meets rising regulatory expectations but also makes traceability a defensible, repeatable asset for day-to-day decisions.
How DPPs become a defensible, day‑to‑day asset
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Sourcing: Use verified origin and supplier history as an approval gate at PO creation and vendor onboarding, with simple flags for farm/region risk, blends, and missing custody steps, so risky fabric is flagged before booking.
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Compliance: Keep one evidence trail per product ID, test IDs, custody events, certificates, and declarations; so exportable evidence packs for regulators and retailers are ready in minutes, not weeks.
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Brand trust: Serve a fast first screen that proves origin and care at scan, with richer records available for partners and service teams to handle repairs, resale, and claims.
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Operations: Reuse the same data model across launches and packaging changes. Update once, publish everywhere, cut rework.
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Risk: Tie supplier performance to product records so detentions, recalls, or allegations can be answered with time‑stamped data, not email chains and PDFs.
This approach not only meets rising regulatory expectations but also makes traceability repeatable, auditable, and useful for everyday decisions.
Cotton Traceability Brochure
They have also published a Cotton Traceability Brochure: a concise guide to how cotton origin can be verified from farm to finished product.
It explains:
- How DNA and stable isotope testing fit into fibre verification
- How lab results connect link to product data
- When hybrid approaches help brands, mills, and suppliers validate chains with confidence
Download the Cotton Traceability Brochure and keep it close for sourcing, compliance, and product teams. Learn how scientific verification can bring confidence to your supply chain and turn Digital Product Passports into a defensible, day-to-day asset.
Ready to simplify compliance and share product-level insights your customers can trust?
Contact Kinset today.
Kinset and World Collective Launch Groundbreaking Pilot for Real Textile Traceability
We’re proud to announce our new pilot program with World Collective, a bold step forward in making real textile traceability a reality, not just a promise.
This pilot focuses on the hardest part of supply chain transparency: the suppliers at Tiers 2 to 4. By combining Kinset’s modular traceability tools with World Collective’s supplier relationships and sourcing ecosystem, we’re helping forward-thinking partners like CABES GIE, Climatex, Mithela Group, and Usha Yarns lay the digital foundation for scalable, future-ready Digital Product Passports (DPPs).
Why it matters:
Regulators are moving fast, and brands need to be ready. But traceability can’t stop at Tier 1. Real transparency means connecting data all the way through the supply chain and this pilot does exactly that.
Together, we’re:
- Turning fragmented supplier data into usable, verifiable insights
- Supporting suppliers with dashboards for certifications and impact
- Closing the traceability gap where it’s needed most
- Building a scalable model aligned with EU DPP 2026, CSRD, and global frameworks
We believe this isn’t just a pilot, but a blueprint. A real-world test proving what’s possible when tech, transparency, and collaboration come together.
Want the full story?
Check out the full press release here!
This is just the beginning.
Stay tuned as we expand this work and continue building smarter, more transparent systems together.
PEFCR for Apparel & Footwear – Just Released
After five years in development, the European Union has officially published the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for apparel and footwear.
This landmark release provides a standardised methodology for measuring the environmental impact of fashion products across their entire lifecycle, from raw materials to end-of-life.
Why Now?
The timing couldn’t be more critical. As regulatory pressure ramps up across Europe, the PEFCR guidelines bring much-needed clarity and consistency to how fashion brands assess and report their environmental impacts. It’s a significant step toward a unified framework that could reshape how the industry talks about sustainability.
What is PEFCR?
PEFCR stands for Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules, a detailed set of guidelines that outline how to measure the environmental impact of products using life-cycle assessment (LCA). The new rules are tailored specifically for apparel and footwear, accounting for everything from material sourcing and manufacturing to use-phase impacts like washing and drying, and end-of-life considerations.
Why It Matters for Brands
- Standardised Metrics: PEFCR defines uniform data points and metrics, ensuring that all brands assess environmental impacts using the same criteria. This levels the playing field and reduces greenwashing by making claims verifiable.
- Multi-Impact Assessment: The framework doesn’t just focus on carbon emissions. It evaluates 16 impact categories, including climate change, water use, resource depletion, and toxic emissions The PEFCR for Apparel and Footwear also integrates a partial life cycle assessment of the impacts of fibre fragments, including microplastics.
- Compliance Alignment: PEFCR isn’t just a guideline, it’s a reference point for key EU regulations. Expect it to feature prominently in the upcoming Green Claims Directive, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements.
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
The new PEFCR methodology is closely linked to three major EU regulations:
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): Under ESPR, products will need a Digital Product Passport that includes lifecycle impact data. PEFCR provides the baseline methodology for these calculations.
- Green Claims Directive: This directive mandates that any environmental claims must be substantiated using a recognised framework. PEFCR is now that framework for apparel and footwear.
- Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): For larger companies, CSRD will require comprehensive environmental disclosures. The PEFCR methodology provides a standardised way to measure and report those impacts.
How Kinset Supports PEFCR Implementation
Kinset’s LCA tool is fully aligned with the PEFCR methodology, enabling brands to assess product impacts accurately and comply with EU standards. By integrating PEF principles, Kinset helps brands calculate footprints, pinpoint hotspots, and generate reports that can be directly incorporated into Digital Product Passports and sustainability disclosures.
Practical Next Steps for Businesses
- Get familiar with PEFCR rules: Download and review the official PEFCR documents for apparel & footwear (available on the EU’s PEF site pefapparelandfootwear.eu). Understand the functional unit, required data inputs (e.g. durability tests, material cut sheets), and the 16 impact categories.
- Identify sample products: Select a few representative garments or shoes from your line (e.g. a basic T-shirt, a pair of jeans, a sneaker) and gather data on materials, production, and use-phase (wash cycles, etc.).
- Perform a baseline PEF footprint: Use a PEF-compliant LCA tool (like Kinset) to calculate the environmental footprint of these products. This first PEFCR-based assessment reveals your hotspots (for example, raw cotton production might dominate climate and water impacts).
- Address hotspots and optimise: With the PEF breakdown in hand, work on improvements. For example, if climate or water use is high for a cotton shirt, consider switching to organic cotton or recycled fibers. If use-phase impacts are large, explore durable materials or low-impact finishing. Remember that increasing durability (wear-life) actually reduces the per-use footprint under PEFCR rules.
- Integrate into processes: Build PEF footprinting into your product development and reporting. Plan to report the PEF footprint in your sustainability reports and (when allowed) in B2B communications. Prepare to submit PEF data in the Digital Product Passport under Ecodesign rules.
- Train your team and inform stakeholders: Make sure your sustainability and design teams understand PEFCR requirements. Train suppliers to collect the right data (e.g. electricity use in dye houses, material weights, wash instructions). Help executives understand that PEFCR isn’t optional anymore, it’s a strategic compliance priority.
Ready to understand your product’s environmental footprint and align with the EU’s new PEFCR framework? Contact us to see how Kinset can simplify your LCA process and help you get ahead of the regulatory curve.
For more information, check out the official EU PEFCR guidelines for apparel and footwear.
Enterprise Ireland’s Sustainable Enterprise Webinar on ESPR
Kinset Co-CEO Katie O’Riordan to Speak at Enterprise Ireland’s Sustainable Enterprise Webinar on ESPR
Kinset is proud to announce that Co-CEO Katie O’Riordan will be a featured speaker at Enterprise Ireland’s upcoming Sustainable Enterprise Webinar, taking place on May 7th, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. The event will focus on the EU’s latest Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and its significant impact on businesses across Europe.
The updated ESPR Working Plan (2025–2030) represents a pivotal advancement for circularity in the European market, introducing ambitious standards for sectors including textiles, steel, aluminium, furniture, mattresses, and tyres. This session will provide actionable insights and guidance for businesses navigating these new regulatory requirements.
Katie will be joined by leading voices in sustainability and policy, including:
- Aisling McCarthy, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Sophie Reynolds, CIRCULÉIRE
- Catriona Power FRSA
Together, the panel will explore the core aspects of ESPR, the role of Digital Product Passports, and the practical implications for product design, supply chains, and compliance. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to prepare for and leverage the new measures to drive sustainable transformation within their organisations.
Event Details:
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Title: Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation Webinar
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Date & Time: 7 May 2025, 1:00pm–2:00pm
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Host: Enterprise Ireland
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Registration: Register here
This webinar is essential for professionals in the targeted sectors who are seeking to stay ahead of regulatory changes, enhance sustainability practices, and unlock new opportunities in the circular economy.
For more information and to register, visit Enterprise Ireland’s event page.
About Kinset:
Kinset empowers brands to streamline compliance, optimise operations, and build trust through data-driven sustainability solutions. Our platform supports businesses in meeting evolving regulatory standards, including ESPR and Digital Product Passports, ensuring transparency and traceability across global supply chains.
Contact:
For further information, please contact info@kinset.com.
Join us as we shape the future of sustainable business in Europe.
Kinset Wins the CircThread Digital Product Passport Hackathon
Kinset has won the CircThread Digital Product Passport Hackathon. Our team took on the challenge of making sustainability data easier to use, helping brands prepare for upcoming EU regulations with clear, actionable insights.
Turning Compliance into Opportunity
The CircThread Hackathon, held on February 25-26, 2025, brought together businesses, sustainability experts, and technology providers to explore how Digital Product Passports (DPPs) can work in real-world scenarios. At Kinset, we see these upcoming EU regulations as an opportunity for brands to build more transparent and resilient supply chains.
That’s exactly what we set out to demonstrate at the hackathon.
Our Winning Approach: Smarter Supply Chains with DPPs
Our project focused on integrating Digital Product Passports with Kinset’s platform, making sustainability data easier to track, manage, and act on. Our solution:
- Maps supply chains in detail, helping brands understand product origins and materials at a granular level.
- Automates sustainability data collection, removing the complexity from compliance.
- Supports circularity tracking, giving businesses a clearer picture of durability, recyclability, and end-of-life strategies.
What’s Next
Winning this challenge means Kinset has secured a place in the IMR Digital Accelerator program, gaining up to €60,000 in technical advisory support. This will help us further develop our platform and ensure brands have the tools they need to meet new regulatory requirements with confidence.
We’re excited to continue developing innovative, data-driven solutions for the industry. If your business is preparing for these changes and needs a clear strategy for success, don’t hesitate to reach out today, we’re here to help!