DPP – Digital Product Passaport

Digital product passports are a digital representation of physical products that display product information together with life-cycle sustainability data. A unified digital representation of a physical product enables improved information exchange along the value chain, allowing product sustainability to be verified and managed.

The product passport means that each product has a unique identity that can be linked to one or more data sources containing information about that product. Product passports allow businesses and consumers to access product information directly from the supplier or from other data sources chosen by the supplier. This information can include the product’s durability performance, origin, warranty, recycling and assembly or repair instructions.

The DPP was created under the umbrella of the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP). This system responds to several key challenges:

• • Lack of transparency in complex supply chains.
  • Difficulty in measuring the real environmental impact of products.
  • Need to support circular business models based on repair, reuse, and recycling.

Thanks to the DPP, products will no longer be black boxes. Consumers will know, for example, if a phone was made with recycled minerals, if its battery was replaced, or what its carbon footprint is.

Companies, for their part, will be able to monitor and optimize each phase of the product life cycle.

Specific content may vary by industry, but common elements include:

Basic product information

• • Trade name, model, serial number or batch
  • Manufacturer details, date of manufacture and estimated duration
  • Warranty and conditions of use

Materials information

• • Origin of raw materials and components
  • Percentage of recycled or critical materials
  • Information on hazardous or conflict substances (e.g. chemicals, allergens, etc.)

Repairability and maintenance

• • Repairability index
  • Repair and replacement history
  • Availability of spare parts and manuals

End of useful life

• • Recycling instructions
  • Possibility of reuse or remanufacturing

Sustainability indicators

• • Carbon and energy footprint
  • Environmental impact on production, use and disposal phases

Ownership and transfers

• • Ownership history for durable or resalable products

Accessibility and data protection

• • Personalized access according to the user profile
  • Protection of sensitive information through encryption or zero-knowledge proofs

From the entry into force of the ESPR (July 2024), all companies that manufacture, import, or market regulated products in the EU must implement DPPs, regardless of their country of origin.

The first required sectors include:

• • Batteries (industrial and electric vehicle) – from 2026
  • Textiles (clothing and footwear) – from 2027-2030
  • Consumer electronics – from 2027-2030
  • Construction products – from 2027-2030
  • Furniture, paints, detergents, chemicals, lubricants, tires, and packaging – from 2027-2030

Step 1: Centralize product information

Companies should consolidate all technical, environmental, and usage information from design to end-of-life. Using product information management (PIM) systems or traceability software is recommended.

Step 2: Collaborate with suppliers

Traceability is only possible if suppliers share data on raw materials, working conditions, and processes. It is vital to include transparency clauses in contracts.

Step 3: Use appropriate technologies

DPP can be integrated into a product using common technologies (QR, RFID, NFC), while digital infrastructure can leverage blockchain technologies to ensure security and decentralization.

Step 4: Automate processes

Much data already exists in corporate ERPs. Using traceability software, this data can be automatically integrated into the DPP system, reducing errors and costs.

Step 5: Ensure data security

To prevent sensitive information (such as chemical formulas or designs) from being exposed, encryption methods or techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs are used, which allow compliance to be demonstrated without revealing data.

For companies

• • Supply Chain Visibility: Identify inefficiencies, risks, and opportunities for improvement across the entire supply chain.
  • New Business Models: Enable circular models like “product-as-a-service,” resale, refurbishment, and advanced recycling.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Efficiently meet current and future environmental regulations (e.g., EU Green Deal).
  • Brand Value & Loyalty: Build trust and strengthen brand reputation by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

For consumers

• • Transparency & Trust: Make informed, sustainable choices. Verify ethical sourcing
  • Authenticity: Easily verify if a product is genuine, combating counterfeits.
  • Better Ownership: Access digital manuals, warranty info, and resale value easily.
  • Circularity Participation: Know how to properly repair or recycle a product.

For society and the planet

• • High-Quality Recycling: Precisely know material compositions, enabling better sorting and purer material recovery.
  • Reduced Waste: Divert products from landfills by facilitating repair, reuse, and recycling.
  • Data-Driven Policy: Governments can create better regulations based on accurate product data.

• • Competitive advantage: Brands that adopt the DPP early can position themselves as leaders in sustainability.
  • Innovation in durable products: The DPP encourages competition based on quality, durability, and efficiency, rather than volume and obsolescence.
  • Real circular economy: Allows products to be designed for reuse, repair, and recycling from the start.

The Digital Product Passport is much more than a technological tool: it is a lever for transformation toward a more transparent, ethical, and sustainable economy. While its implementation poses significant challenges, it also opens up historic opportunities for companies that dare to lead the change.

What do DPP regulations require?

The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) mandates that each product covered by the DPP must have:

1. 1. A unique identifier accessible digitally.
   2. Information readable by both humans and machines.
   3. Data available throughout the product’s entire lifecycle.
   4. Ability to restrict access based on user profile (consumer, technician, authority).
   5. Permanent and durable information linked to the physical object.

In summary: The DPP must be physically connected to the product, secure, accessible, and durable. This is where RFID and NFC excel.

Why are RFID and NFC ideal technologies to meet these requirements?

1. 1. Unique physical product linkage

• • Each RFID or NFC tag has a unique identifier (UID) that cannot be duplicated.
  • This allows unequivocal association of a physical object with its digital twin (the DPP).
  • More secure than printed QR codes, which can be copied or damaged.
    ✅ Meets the requirement for unique and persistent identification.

1. 2. Automatic and contactless access

• • RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) enables scanning dozens or hundreds of products simultaneously, without visual contact or line of sight.
  • NFC (Near Field Communication) allows secure individual scanning with a standard mobile phone.
    ✅ Enables various stakeholders (logistics, retail, consumer, recycler) to access the DPP based on their needs and context.

1. 3. Lifecycle data updates

• • Tags can store dynamic information (e.g., repairs, maintenance, dates, location).
  • With advanced technologies (like EPC Gen2 RFID with memory), they can even be rewritable.
    ✅ Ideal for reflecting product changes throughout its lifecycle, as required by legislation.

1. 4. Security, authentication, and access control

• • Advanced NFC tags support encryption and cryptographic authentication (e.g., NXP MIFARE, NTAG 424 DNA).
  • This allows control over who can view which passport data (e.g., consumers can see recycled content, but not supplier details).
    ✅ Complies with DPP requirements for privacy, confidentiality, and selective transparency.

1. 5. Physical resistance and durability

• • RFID and NFC tags can be embedded in products, sewn into textiles, or attached to metal or plastic objects.
  • They withstand heat, humidity, friction, and washing (e.g., clothing or industrial components).
    ✅ Ensures the DPP remains accessible even years after the product is manufactured.

1. 6. Scalability and interoperability

• • These are globally standardized technologies (ISO/IEC 14443 for NFC, ISO/IEC 18000-63 for RFID).
  • They integrate with existing systems for logistics, inventory, recycling, or maintenance.
    ✅ Enables cross-industry implementation (fashion, electronics, automotive, furniture, etc.)