Gigi On Earth

If you’ve been following the news, you might have heard about the upcoming tariffs here in Canada. With that, there’s been a surge in “Made in Canada” content—people checking labels on products in their homes to see where they’re actually made. It’s a fun challenge, but it also got me thinking: in today’s global supply chain, is it really that simple?

Just because a brand is Canadian doesn’t mean everything that goes into the product is, too. Ingredients, materials, and manufacturing could come from all over the world, so predicting which products will be affected by these tariffs is tricky.

This made me think of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiative in the EU, which is all about transparency.

So, what exactly is a Digital Product Passport? It’s a system designed to track and share data about a product’s entire supply chain—from raw materials to manufacturing and transportation. Imagine if, instead of just seeing “Made in Canada” or “Made in China” on a label, you could know where the fabric came from, which factory produced it, and how it got to you.

That kind of transparency would be groundbreaking, especially for industries like textiles. It would empower consumers to make more informed choices, whether they want to support their local economy or prioritize ethical and sustainable production.

For me, this isn’t about a “Make Your Country Great Again” mindset—it’s about understanding the world we live in and using that knowledge to make better choices. Whether we buy local or support ethical businesses abroad, having more information helps us shop in a way that aligns with our values.

The Digital Product Passport is set to roll out in April 2025, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds. What do you think—would you want to see more transparency in the products you buy?