What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured collection of product-related data transmitted via a unique identifier, with a predefined scope and agreed-upon data management, accessible electronically via a data carrier.
The objectives of a DPP
The intended scope of the DPP is information relating to sustainability, circularity, preservation of value for reuse, remanufacturing and recycling.
- 01Increase sustainable production
- 02Extend product lifecycles, optimise product use and provide new business opportunities through the preservation and extraction of circular value
- 03Support consumers in making sustainable choices
- 04Facilitate the transition to a circular economy by increasing material and energy efficiency
- 05Support authorities in verifying compliance
The DPP under ESPR
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) creates the Digital Product Passport as the tool for managing product information requirements. Product-related data is registered, processed and shared electronically amongst supply-chain businesses, authorities and consumers — increasing transparency across the value chain and streamlining the monitoring and enforcement of the regulation.
In practice, a product's passport is accessed by scanning a data carrier — such as a QR code — on the product itself, its packaging or its documentation. The European Commission will set up and maintain a central registry of unique identifiers, while the passport data itself is held in decentralised systems set up and maintained by economic actors.