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A consumer holds her smartphone up to products on a supermarket shelf.

A single scan for greater sustainability.
Image: Jenny Day

The Digital Product Passport: Paving the Way for a Transparent and Sustainable Packaging World

Greater efficiency for the packaging industry! The Digital Product Passport (DPP) will streamline the collection, management, and retrieval of product and packaging information – and eliminate the need for paper-based documentation.

Digital, Faster – and Above All, More Transparent

The Digital Product Passport brings clarity, making packaging-related data available and easily accessible. Managing of materials, ensuring product traceability, and complying with regulations have long been challenges for the industry. The DPP simplifies these processes. With end-to-end digitization of the supply chain, key information becomes available in real time. No more lengthy documents that need to be sent back and forth – all data is stored centrally and accessible at any time.

Supporting the Circular Economy

Consumers and regulators are demanding more transparency about the origin, composition, and recyclability of packaging – a key concern in developing a sustainable circular economy. The DPP addresses legal requirements while also meeting the needs of consumers. It enables people to make better-informed purchasing decisions based on accessible data.

All Key Information, Just a Scan Away

The DPP also delivers a completely new customer experience. With a quick scan using their smartphone, consumers can instantly access all relevant information about a product’s packaging – from the materials used to their recyclability and disposal recommendations. This transparency fosters trust, especially regarding sustainability.

Ensuring Compliance with Regulations through the Digital Product Passport

Whether it’s meeting customer-specific demands, EU regulations, or national standards – the DPP helps companies stay compliant. With just one click, businesses can verify that their packaging meets all applicable requirements. The result: time and cost savings, as well as reduced risk of penalties.

Implementation Challenges

Despite its benefits, the introduction of the DPP comes with challenges, particularly around standardizing data and integrating it into existing systems. These requirements may pose both organizational and technological hurdles for companies.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP)

By 2030, the Digital Product Passport will be mandatory for all product groups. Under the EU’s Ecodesign Regulation, phased implementation will begin as early as 2027 for companies across nearly all sectors manufacturing, operating, or selling products within the EU. The goal is to create maximum transparency for consumers, companies, and regulators through digital connectivity, enabling all stakeholders to jointly support the shift toward a circular economy.

For consumers, this means being empowered to make more sustainable, data-driven purchase decisions. For companies, it offers the opportunity to manage, streamline, and optimize supply chains.

The data – accessible via QR code, NFC, or RFID – includes standardized information relevant to the product type, such as materials and chemical contents, repairability, spare parts, assembly instructions, and end-of-life disposal guidance, covering the entire product lifecycle.

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