Digital Product Passport: What Businesses Need to Know Now
What Is the Digital Product Passport? The Digital Product Passport brings together key information about a product and makes it available throughout its entire life cycle. This includes, for example, material and origin data, certificates, care instructions, repair services, and information on take-back and further use.
The DPP therefore connects regulatory requirements with the circular economy and the brand experience. Businesses that structure their product data at an early stage create a reliable basis for transparency and brand trust.
When Will the DPP Become Mandatory?
The step-by-step introduction will begin with the battery passport in February 2027. Further product groups will follow, including textiles, tyres, electrical appliances and detergents. The legal basis is the new EU Ecodesign Regulation. In the long term, the DPP is intended to bring together the requirements of 31 product-related pieces of legislation under the heading of a European Product Act.
The specific requirements will be refined through the Delegated Acts that are still pending. For businesses in Germany and across the EU, preparation starts now: they need to identify their data sources, responsibilities and processes, and align them with one another.
How Can the DPP Be Integrated into a Product?
COR is integrating the product passport into its upholstered furniture using a sewn-in NFC chip. The chip provides access to product data, care instructions, certificates and repair services. Delivery of the first model is scheduled to start in September or October 2026. The solution connects the digital information space with the physical product. Information is available directly on the furniture and remains accessible throughout its life cycle.
What Are the Benefits of Preparing Early?
COR developed its solution even though the final EU requirements are not yet fully defined. According to Leo Lübke, Managing Director of COR, the retail sector responded positively to the approach. The company’s technological expertise strengthens its brand image and brings its sustainability efforts closer to the product.
The demand for reliable evidence is also growing independently of EU requirements. According to the speakers, B2B customers, including those in the United States, are increasingly requesting Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and other sustainability information.
DPP Readiness: Which Product Data Should Businesses Review?
An initial readiness check should cover:
- certificates and sustainability credentials
- material and origin data
- care and repair instructions
- take-back and recycling services
- data on product life span and further use
Preparation therefore concerns more than compliance and IT. Product development, customer service, communications and brand management also need access to reliable product information. Clearly structured data makes implementation easier and opens up new opportunities for transparency and the circular economy.
More on the Circular Economy
Further information is available on the Circular Design topic page in our online magazine “Design Perspectives“.