A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a standardised digital record of information about a product: origin, materials, environmental impact, repairability and the options for reuse and recycling. The passport is linked to the product through a data carrier such as a QR code and makes this information accessible across the full value chain, from producer to consumer and processor. In the EU, the DPP is becoming mandatory in phases. The digital battery passport, under the separate European Battery Regulation, acts as a frontrunner and becomes mandatory from February 2027. The DPP also rolls out through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), with initial product groups including textiles, furniture and steel. Construction products follow in a later phase.
What information is included in a Digital Product Passport?
- Origin and materials — where the product and its raw materials come from.
- Environmental impact — footprint and life-cycle data for the product.
- Repairability — components, manuals and maintenance options.
- End of life — how the product can be dismantled, reused or recycled.
- Conformity — certificates and compliance with laws and regulations.
Why is the DPP being introduced?
The Digital Product Passport is a cornerstone of European circular economy policy. It makes product information transparent and reliable, so products can be repaired, reused and recycled more effectively. The obligation is introduced in phases, per product group and with increasing requirements.
DPP and circularity
High-value circular strategies require information. Repair, reuse and disassembly depend on knowing what a product contains. The DPP therefore makes choices high on the R-ladder practically executable and supports circular and regenerative design choices.
DPP, LCA and EPD
The environmental data in a DPP comes from the same basis as an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): a life-cycle assessment (LCA). A product footprint that is already in order provides an important part of the passport content.
How New Economy supports DPP preparation
New Economy structures product environmental and material data through footprint and life-cycle analysis, so products are ready for a Digital Product Passport. See Product Footprint.
Frequently asked questions about the Digital Product Passport
A standardised digital record of product information, such as origin, materials, environmental impact, repairability and recycling, linked to the product through a data carrier such as a QR code.
Yes, in phases. The battery passport under the separate European Battery Regulation is a frontrunner from February 2027. Product groups such as textiles, furniture and steel follow under the ESPR, with construction products in a later phase.
The purpose is to make product information transparent and reliable, so products can be repaired, reused and recycled more effectively and the circular economy can accelerate.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) focuses on the verified environmental impact of a product. A DPP brings together broader product information, including environmental data, and is digitally linked to the product.
Preparation starts by organising product material and environmental data, for example through a footprint or life-cycle assessment (LCA), so that much of the passport content is already available.
For product data preparation for a Digital Product Passport, see Product Footprint, or contact New Economy to explore the options.