What is the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport is a digital identity for physical products. It bundles structured information such as material composition, repairability, recyclability, conformity evidence and manufacturer data so that authorised actors can retrieve it digitally.
In ESPR terms, the DPP is a dataset accessible through a data carrier. In practice, a QR code, NFC tag or another machine-readable carrier points to a digital profile that exposes different information to consumers, authorities, repairers, recyclers and business partners.
Which products and companies are affected?
ESPR is a framework for almost all physical products placed on the EU market. Concrete duties arise through product-specific delegated acts; batteries already have a fixed battery passport date under the EU Battery Regulation.
Current priority sectors include data-intensive categories such as textiles, iron and steel, aluminium, furniture, tyres and mattresses. Companies outside the first wave may not have a final date yet, but supplier evidence, product variants and technical documents need lead time.
Which data belongs in a DPP?
A DPP does not contain one universal mandatory dataset for every industry. Final data fields depend on the product group, but recurring elements include product identifiers, manufacturer information, material data, conformity documents, repair information and end-of-life data.
For implementation, treat every data field as versioned evidence. A certificate, supplier document or lab report should not just be uploaded; it needs to belong to the right product, batch and publication status.
- Product identity: GTIN, serial number, batch or unique product identifier.
- Compliance: CE-related evidence, technical documentation and declarations of conformity.
- Sustainability: material composition, recycled content, carbon or environmental footprint, repairability.
- Access: separate public information, protected B2B information and authority access.
How should manufacturers start?
Manufacturers should start with the DPP data model, not the QR code. The data carrier is only the entry point; compliance comes from complete, current and auditable data with clear ownership.
A practical first step is a DPP readiness check: prioritise product groups, map existing data sources, connect evidence to requirements and expose gaps by product family. ERP, PIM and supplier portal integrations can then be planned intentionally.
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