The EU’s New Digital Product Passport (DPP)
In 2024, the European Union (EU) will introduce new legislation mandating that almost all products sold within the union have a Digital Product Passport (DPP).
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that provides detailed information about a product and its entire value chain. This includes data on the product’s origin, the materials used in its production, its environmental impact, and guidelines for its proper disposal.
The DPP is a crucial element of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which came into effect on July 18, 2024. The ESPR forms the foundation of the European Commission’s strategy to create more environmentally sustainable and circular products.
Ecodesign requirements will be tailored to specific product categories and may include:
- Durability, reliability, reusability, upgradability, and reparability.
- Ease of maintenance and refurbishment.
- Restrictions on substances that hinder product circularity.
- Energy usage or energy efficiency standards.
- Resource usage or resource efficiency standards.
- Minimum recycled content requirements.
- Ease of disassembly, remanufacturing, and recycling.
- Life-cycle environmental impact, including carbon and environmental footprints.
- Waste prevention and reduction, including packaging waste.
These new rules will apply to all products sold in the EU, regardless of whether they are manufactured within the union or imported from outside. The European Commission will manage a public web portal where consumers can search for and compare sustainability information provided in the product passports.
While the DPP is not yet mandatory, it will soon be required for a variety of products. Beginning in 2024, the EU plans to adopt DPPs, with full implementation expected between 2026 and 2030. These rules will apply across all 27 EU member states and will cover a wide range of product categories, such as:
- Textiles (including garments and footwear)
- Furniture
- Chemicals
- Batteries
- Consumer electronics
- Electronic devices
- Construction materials
The overall goal of these sustainable product initiatives is to ensure that by 2030, a significant portion of products available to EU consumers will be designed for durability, energy and resource efficiency, reparability, and recyclability, with an emphasis on using recycled materials.
Sandy Van den Broeck,
ESG Director, ESA