What is the Digital Product Passport? - Definition, requirements & practice

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a key EU instrument for promoting transparency, sustainability and the circular economy along the entire supply chain. It is intended to digitally record and make available all relevant information on a product - from material composition and reparability to the carbon footprint. The introduction of the DPP will be mandatory for various sectors from 2026.

For companies, the digital product passport offers not only regulatory challenges - but also strategic opportunities for differentiation, customer loyalty and increased efficiency.

What is the Digital Product Passport?

The digital product passport is a structured digital collection of information that includes product-specific data along the entire life cycle. It becomes part of every physical product concerned - accessible via a QR code or RFID chip, for example.

The product passport contains, among other things:

• Material & ingredients
• Origin and production conditions
• CO₂ footprint and energy consumption
• Repair, recycling and disposal information
• Certifications & declarations of conformity
• Product design & maintenance data

Who does the DPP apply to?

The introduction will be gradual. The following are affected first:

• Batteries (from 2026)
• Textiles (from 2027)
• Electronic devices and household appliances
• Vehicles and components (Automotive)
• Building products and furniture

In the long term, the DPP should apply to almost all products in the EU internal market - regardless of company size or sector.

Objectives of the digital product passport

• More transparency for consumers, authorities and partners
• Promotion of circular economy & sustainability
• Better data availability for life cycle analyses (LCA)
• Strengthening traceability & supply chain transparency
• Compliance with EU requirements, e.g. as part of the "Green Deal"

What challenges do companies face?

• Collection & preparation of complex product data
• Integration into existing IT systems (ERP, PLM, SCM)
• High effort for data maintenance & data quality
• Interoperability & standardization (e.g. Catena-X, GS1)
• Training of employees & adaptation of processes
• Short-term implementation deadlines for new EU regulations

Technical implementation:

In future, companies will have to provide structured data in machine-readable form. This includes

• Digital twins & lifecycle management
• Cloud-based platforms (e.g. SAP GreenToken, Siemens Teamcenter)
• Catena-X, GAIA-X and other open standards
• Interfaces to suppliers & customers
• Data format specifications of the EU Commission (JSON-LD, XML etc.)

Practical example:

A medium-sized automotive supplier launched a pilot project for the Digital Product Passport in 2023. By integrating the DPP into the existing PLM system, it was possible to:

• Product data can be aggregated automatically
• Supplier portals for sustainability data can be connected
• Proof of CO₂ emissions can be generated automatically

The result: less administrative effort, greater data security and improved ESG compliance in the audit process.

Advantages for companies

• Early market access through compliance
• Competitive advantage through transparent sustainability communication
• Better risk management & supplier control
• Data-based optimization of product design & development

Conclusion

The Digital Product Passport is not just a mandatory regulatory program, but a great opportunity to position yourself as a sustainable, transparent company. Those who start early will benefit in several ways: through simplified processes, data-based decisions, better collaboration along the supply chain - and a strong signal to customers and investors.