Phil Patterson

YORK –  The Eco-Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is overarching EU legislation and, as part of this, EU-based manufacturers or EU-based importers will have to complete a Digital Product Passport (DPP), which includes information such as details of production routes, water and energy use, and carbon footprint, as well as product durability and ‘Substances of Concern’ (SoC).

My parents were both teachers, my brother is a doctor, and my wife is a clinical psychologist. So, what’s the difference between my family and many experts operating in the world of ecotextiles? Put simply, my family members had to get very specific qualifications to work in their chosen careers, without which, they would need to find different careers – or break the law. Already have an account? Log In Explore all our independent journalism from as little as 30p per day.

For the past couple of years there have been increasing calls for electrification to be rolled out across the textile, and specifically wet processing, industry – the logic being that, ultimately, renewable resources such as wind, solar and nuclear will provide electricity that is almost free from carbon emissions.