Achieve transparency along the entire value creation cycle of companies and their products easily and with just a few clicks. The European Commission’s plans for more circularity are ambitious – whether they work depends on the right implementation. A report describes the legal framework and the impact on various product groups that will become mandatory from 2027.

Finding out everything about a product and its background with just a few clicks is the basis, including where the product comes from and under what social and ecological conditions it was produced. But also how we can repair or dispose of it or which substances and components it contains. According to the European Commission’s plans, this will be possible as part of a digital product passport (DPP).

The transparency of the entire value chain is becoming increasingly important, and not just for the end consumer. We also need to move from a waste policy to a product policy in line with the New Circular Economy Action Plan. DPP can be a crucial lever, especially for circular economy tools such as repairing, refurbishing, repurposing and recycling.

The purpose of the digital product passport is to filter out as few data sets as possible from as many operators as possible – at business-to-business, business-to-consumer and business-to-government level. The real challenge lies in implementing complex data processing and thus identifying the ‘right data’ and designing the corresponding legal framework.

The stages of the value chain cross national borders and involve different players. The most important thing now is to get it right. The Commission is currently examining various implementation options and has already started a dialogue with various stakeholders.

A digital product passport is a standardised data set that contains comprehensive information about a product. This data record covers the entire life cycle of a product, from production and use through to disposal. The digital product passport is intended to promote transparency and sustainability in the production and distribution of products by providing detailed information about the origin, materials used and production conditions. This enables consumers and companies to make informed decisions and contribute to the promotion of a sustainable circular economy.

The digital product passport offers numerous advantages that go far beyond mere transparency. It promotes sustainability in the production and distribution of products by enabling companies to organise and manage their supply chains more efficiently. Consumers benefit from the ability to make informed purchasing decisions based on detailed information about the products. The digital product passport is used in various industries, especially in the food sector – in wine, for example, since 2023. In all these areas, it helps to improve the reparability and reusability of products and thus support the circular economy.

The BSS is easy to implement. We provide significant support to the manufacturer to enable simple and cost-effective implementation within a few days.

It is crucial that all players, from manufacturers to end consumers, pull together to fully utilise the benefits of the digital product passport.

The digital product passport is used in various industries and application areas, whereby industry-specific requirements must be taken into account.The standardisation of the digital product passport is carried out in close consultation with associations and organisations to ensure that the specific needs of each industry are met.The future prospects for the digital product passport are extremely positive.It has the potential to significantly promote digitalisation and the circular economy by creating transparency and supporting sustainable practices.