The Japan Times - U.S. Polo Assn. Executes Early on Europe's Digital Product Passport Mandate

WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 29, 2026 / U.S. Polo Assn.®, the official sports brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), with a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and distribution in more than 190 countries through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. mono-brand retail stores, numerous branded websites and thousands of other points of distribution worldwide, today announced the brand's early activation of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) across product categories sold into the European Union (EU).

As Europe prepares to launch the Digital Product Passport Registry, U.S. Polo Assn. has taken a proactive approach by preparing to deploy DPPs across all products sold into the EU well ahead of the mandatory compliance deadline expected in 2028 or 2029. The global sports brand has already mapped product information for millions of products, creating a scalable framework that will enhance product transparency and support compliance readiness throughout its European operations.

Beyond additional transparency, the data generated through this effort will enable the brand and its consumers to make more informed, data-driven decisions. The goal is to identify opportunities for improvement across the brand's products and global supply chain, supporting continuous progress toward lower-impact and more sustainable solutions.

"We view the Digital Product Passport as an opportunity to give our U.S. Polo Assn. consumers and retail partners across Europe greater visibility into the products they purchase while equipping our global business with better data to make smarter decisions across our products and supply chain," said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global, the company that manages the multi-billion-dollar sports brand, U.S. Polo Assn. "We are proud to activate this critical product platform early while building a strong foundation that strengthens consumer trust and advances our long-term commitment to more responsible and sustainable growth."

"This approach ensures our sustainability initiatives are both practical and meaningful, supporting real improvements across U.S. Polo Assn. business and supply chains," Prince added.

What is a Digital Product Passport?

A Digital Product Passport is a digital record that provides information about a product throughout its lifecycle. By scanning a QR code or accessing a digital record, consumers can learn more about where a product originates, the materials it contains, how it was produced, and other information that helps them make more informed purchasing decisions.

The goal of DPP is to make product information more accessible, transparent, and easy for consumers to understand.

Enhanced Transparency

The European Union is moving toward requiring greater product transparency through Digital Product Passports. However, U.S. Polo Assn. believes the real opportunity lies in providing consumers more meaningful information about the products they want to experience.

DPP aligns with the broader direction outlined within the brand's comprehensive sustainability strategy, USPA Life. This commitment is supported through collaborations with industry leaders such as Carbonfact, the Environmental Intelligence Platform for apparel and footwear, which processes the brand's product data and generates its Digital Product Passports, and LRQA's EiQ platform, as well as other strategic partnerships across the industry. The brand is also advancing innovative product initiatives such as the new USPA LIFE Polo Shirt debuting in Summer 2027.

"U.S. Polo Assn. is among the first brands to make Digital Product Passports operational, well ahead of EU requirements. With Carbonfact, they bring thousands of data points from across many different systems into one consistent, reliable environmental footprint for every product, and that same dataset powers their DPPs, generating QR codes and sharing clear, reliable product information at scale," said Marc Laurent, CEO, Carbonfact.

By providing accessible product-level data through Digital Product Passports, U.S. Polo Assn. aims to enhance transparency and empower both the brand and consumers to make more informed decisions. This strategic approach supports additional ways to reduce environmental impact and advance the company's sustainability efforts in a measurable manner.

Building the Foundation for the Future of Retail

The implementation of DPP will span all product categories sold into the European Union, providing a consistent framework and consumer experience for product information across U.S. Polo Assn.'s European portfolio.

"We believe transparency is key to a more sustainable future," said Jessica Lenhart, Director of Sustainability for USPA Global. "By helping consumers better understand the products they purchase, we can enable more informed choices and drive meaningful change."

"Digital Product Passports create a new level of connection between brands and consumers, enhancing overall product transparency," adds Lenhart.

With millions of products already mapped, U.S. Polo Assn.'s early activation of Digital Product Passports (DPP) represents one of the most significant product transparency initiatives undertaken by the brand to date.

As consumers continue to seek greater visibility into the products they experience, U.S. Polo Assn. believes that enhanced transparency will become an increasingly important part of the customer experience.

About U.S. Polo Assn.® and USPA Global

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official sports brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the largest association of polo clubs and polo players in the United States, founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through more than 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores as well as thousands of additional points of distribution, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel, accessories, and footwear for men, women, and children in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn.'s Global Polo Shirt Campaign, An Icon Born from the Game, is a powerful tribute to the iconic polo shirt's authentic sports origins and its evolution into one of the world's most enduring style essentials.

The global sports brand sponsors major polo events around the world, including the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, held annually at the USPA National Polo Center in The Palm Beaches, the premier polo tournament in the United States. Historic deals with ESPN in the United States, TNT and Eurosport in Europe, Star Sportsin India, and BeIN Sports in the Middle East now broadcast several of the premier polo championships in the world, sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn., making the thrilling sport accessible to millions of sports fans globally for the very first time.

U.S. Polo Assn.has recently been named one of USA Today's Most Trusted Brands and in 2026 was ranked the top sports licensor in the world, surpassing the NFL, PGA Tour, and Formula 1, according to License Global. The sport-inspired brand has been recognized internationally with awards for global growth and sports content. Due to its tremendous success as a global brand, U.S. Polo Assn. has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Modern Retail, WWD, and GQ, as well as on Yahoo Finance and Bloomberg, among many other noteworthy media sources around the world. For more information, visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.

USPA Global is a subsidiary of the United States Polo Association (USPA) and manages the multi-billion-dollar sports brand, U.S. Polo Assn. USPA Global also manages its subsidiary, Global Polo, which is the worldwide leader in polo sport content. To learn more, visit globalpolo.com or Global Polo on YouTube.

About Carbonfact
Carbonfact is the Environmental Intelligence Platform for apparel and footwear. Selected by 300+ brands, the platform helps them measure the environmental footprint of products and create Digital Product Passports at scale. Learn more at www.carbonfact.com.

For Further Information, Contact:

Stacey Kovalsky
VP, Global PR & Communications
Phone: +1.561.790.8036
Email: [email protected]
Jessica Lenhart
Director, Sustainability
Phone: +1.561.461.8594
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: U.S. Polo Assn.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Y.Kimura--JT