In the face of the climate emergency, the European Union is committed to becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. To realise this ambition, the European Commission has unveiled a package of legislative measures as part of the Green Pact. These include the Digital Product Passport, a regulatory requirement designed to facilitate the transition to a circular economy.
In this article, we take a look at what you need to know about the Digital Product Passport.
What is the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a European regulatory requirement aimed at creating complete digital traceability for products throughout their life cycle, from design to disposal. The Digital Product Passport is one of the measures planned by the European Union as part of the Green Pact.
The Digital Product Passport consists of a record for each product containing detailed information on its manufacture, materials, chemical composition, origin, use and end-of-life. The products covered by this regulation are all physical products placed on the market in the European Union, with the exception of food, animal feed and medical products. The Digital Product Passport will be rolled out progressively from 2027.
What are the key elements of the Digital Product Passport?
At the heart of traceability, the Digital Product Passport is a unique digital record associated with each product, containing detailed information about its life cycle.
It will be shared with consumers by means of QR codes, barcodes or RFID tags containing the following information:
- Product identification
- Manufacturing information
- The materials used and the composition of the product
- The supply chain
- Origin of materials
- Technical performance
- Recycling of components
- Hazardous and polluting substances
- Environmental performance and sustainability
- Dismantling and repair options
- End-of-life treatment
- Sustainability certifications and compliance
- Recycling of components
What are the advantages of the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport aims to promote transparency, regulatory compliance and responsibility in the supply chain, enabling consumers to make informed choices and encouraging manufacturers to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
- Transparency: better information on the ecological impact of products will enable consumers to make more sustainable purchases.
- Regulatory compliance: with unique identifiers and structured data, manufacturers will be better able to meet regulatory requirements for collecting and sharing information.
- Responsibility in the supply chain: information will be available to consumers to extend the life of products and reduce waste.
In short, the digital product passport is an essential tool for more responsible and sustainable consumption. By promoting transparency, compliance and the circular economy, the Digital Product Passport is helping to create a future that is more respectful of the environment and more beneficial for everyone.