What are Digital Product Passports?

Imagine buying a jacket and being able to instantly discover where its cotton was grown, which factories manufactured it, its carbon footprint, whether harmful chemicals were used, how to repair it and how it should be recycled at the end of its life—all by simply scanning a QR code.

This is the vision behind the Digital Product Passport (DPP).

Digital Product Passports are set to become one of the most significant changes to global product information and sustainability reporting. While the European Union is leading this transformation, its impact will be felt across global supply chains, especially by manufacturers, brands and exporters supplying products to the European market.

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What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that is permanently linked to a physical product through a data carrier such as a QR code, NFC tag or RFID chip.

Unlike a traditional care label, a Digital Product Passport stores comprehensive product information that can be securely accessed throughout the product's lifecycle by different stakeholders.

For example:

• Consumers can view material composition, country of origin, care instructions, repair guidance and sustainability information.
• Recyclers can access disassembly instructions and material recovery information.
• Customs Authorities can verify compliance before products enter the European market.
• Brands & Manufacturers can maintain and update product information throughout its lifecycle.

The same Digital Product Passport presents different information depending on who is accessing it, balancing transparency with the protection of confidential business information.

Think of a Digital Product Passport as a product's digital identity card, service history and sustainability record, all combined into a single digital profile.

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What is ESPR?

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the European Union's flagship regulation for improving the sustainability, durability and circularity of products placed on the EU market. It entered into force on 18 July 2024 and establishes the legal framework for Digital Product Passports.

Rather than defining detailed requirements for every product category, ESPR creates a common legislative framework. Specific product requirements will be introduced through Delegated Acts, with textiles and apparel identified as one of the first priority sectors expected to implement Digital Product Passports.

The regulation aims to improve product transparency, support the circular economy and enable consumers, businesses and regulators to make better informed decisions throughout a product's lifecycle.

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What Information Will a Digital Product Passport Contain?

Although the final Textile Delegated Act is still under development, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has identified the major categories of information that are expected to form part of a Digital Product Passport for textile and apparel products.

Product Identification

Every product requires a unique digital identity so it can be accurately identified throughout its lifecycle.

• Product Name & Model
• Brand & Manufacturer
• GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
• SKU
• Batch / Lot Number
• Serial Number (where applicable)
• Country of Origin

Materials & Fibre Composition

The passport records what a product is made from, allowing stakeholders to understand its composition and supporting better recycling and material recovery.

• Fibre Composition
• Organic Content
• Recycled Content
• Fabric Construction
• Components & Trims

Supply Chain & Traceability

Digital Product Passports improve supply chain transparency by recording information about the organisations and facilities involved in producing a product.

• Manufacturing Facilities
• Suppliers
• Production Locations
• Operator Identifiers
• Facility Identifiers

Environmental Performance

Environmental information helps businesses and consumers better understand the sustainability performance of a product throughout its lifecycle.

• Carbon Footprint
• Water Consumption
• Energy Usage
• Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)
• Other Sustainability Indicators

Chemicals & Substances of Concern

Rather than listing every chemical used during manufacturing, the Digital Product Passport focuses on Substances of Concern (SoC) that are relevant for product safety, reuse and recycling.

This complements existing European regulations such as REACH, CLP and POPs, helping ensure safer products and supporting circularity.

Care, Repair & Warranty

The passport provides consumers with practical information that helps extend the life of products.

• Care Instructions
• Repair Guidance
• Spare Part Availability
• Warranty Information
• Repair Service Contacts

Recyclability & End-of-Life

Circularity is a key objective of the Digital Product Passport. Products should include information that supports responsible disposal and material recovery.

• Recycling Instructions
• Material Recovery Information
• Disassembly Guidance
• Recyclability Information

Other Regulatory Information

Instead of duplicating documentation, the passport can reference supporting compliance documents and certifications where appropriate.

• Declaration of Conformity
• Technical Documentation
• User Manuals
• EU Ecolabel
• Other Applicable EU Regulations

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How Does a Digital Product Passport Work?

A Digital Product Passport is much more than a QR code attached to a product. The QR code, NFC tag or RFID chip simply acts as the data carrier, connecting the physical product to its digital record stored securely in the cloud.

Behind the scenes, a Digital Product Passport platform manages the complete lifecycle of product information, ensuring data remains accurate, secure and accessible to authorised stakeholders throughout the product's journey.

A Typical DPP Platform Includes

• Product Database
• Cloud Infrastructure
• APIs for Data Exchange
• Version History & Product Updates
• Product Identifiers
• Security & Authentication
• Data Governance
• Integration with ERP, PLM, LCA, MES and other Enterprise Systems

Rather than prescribing a specific technology, European standards remain technology-neutral. Businesses may choose QR codes, NFC tags, RFID chips or future technologies provided they satisfy the functional requirements established under ESPR and related standards.

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Different Users See Different Information

One of the key strengths of the Digital Product Passport is its role-based access model. Not every stakeholder needs the same information, and not all data should be publicly accessible.

Instead, the Digital Product Passport provides different levels of access depending on the user's role, balancing transparency with the protection of confidential business information.

Consumers

• Material Composition
• Country of Origin
• Care Instructions
• Repair Guidance
• Sustainability Information

Brands & Manufacturers

• Complete Product Lifecycle Information
• Supply Chain Data
• Compliance Documentation
• Environmental Performance Metrics

Suppliers

• Manufacturing Information
• Material Traceability
• Supply Chain Records

Recyclers

• Material Composition
• Disassembly Instructions
• Material Recovery Guidance
• End-of-Life Information

Market Surveillance Authorities

• Complete Regulatory Information
• Declaration of Conformity
• Technical Documentation
• Compliance Verification

This approach ensures that every stakeholder receives the information they need while sensitive commercial data remains protected.

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The EU Digital Product Passport Registry

An important component of the Digital Product Passport ecosystem is the EU Digital Product Passport Registry, which the European Commission is required to establish by 19 July 2026 under Articles 13 and 14 of the ESPR.

The Registry does not store the complete Digital Product Passport. Instead, it acts as a central directory that connects products with their respective Digital Product Passports, making them easier to identify and verify across the European market.

The Registry is Expected to Include

• Unique Product Identifiers (UPIs)
• Unique Operator Identifiers (UOIs)
• Unique Facility Identifiers (UFIs)
• Links to Digital Product Passports

Alongside the Registry, the European Commission will also establish an ESPR Web Portal. This portal will allow market surveillance authorities, economic operators and, where appropriate, the public to search and verify Digital Product Passport information.

Together, the Registry and Web Portal will improve product transparency, strengthen regulatory oversight and support the implementation of Digital Product Passports across the European Union.

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The Joint Research Centre (JRC): Turning Policy into Practice

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission's in-house scientific and technical service. While it does not create legislation, it provides the scientific research, methodologies and technical guidance that support European policymaking.

For Digital Product Passports, the JRC has played a central role in defining how passports should function in practice. Its research has identified the major information categories, interoperability principles, governance models and lifecycle requirements expected to form the foundation of future textile Digital Product Passports.

The JRC has also emphasised that Digital Product Passports should collect only information that serves a genuine business or regulatory purpose, helping reduce unnecessary reporting burdens while maintaining transparency and product traceability.

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CIRPASS & CIRPASS-2

Before Digital Product Passports become mandatory, the European Commission launched two major collaborative initiatives—CIRPASS and CIRPASS-2—to develop, test and validate the technical foundations of Digital Product Passports.

CIRPASS

CIRPASS was established to create the initial architecture for Digital Product Passports. The project brought together technology providers, manufacturers, brands, research organisations and policymakers to define how DPPs should operate across industries.

Key areas of work included:

• Digital Product Passport architecture
• Governance models
• Interoperability framework
• Data exchange principles
• Stakeholder collaboration

CIRPASS-2

CIRPASS-2 builds upon the work completed under CIRPASS by moving from concept development to real-world implementation. The project focuses on testing Digital Product Passports across priority sectors including textiles, batteries and electronics while supporting European standardisation activities.

CIRPASS-2 also explores practical implementation challenges such as interoperability, governance, scalability and data quality throughout global supply chains.

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Passport Granularity

One of the most important discussions within CIRPASS-2 concerns passport granularity—the level at which a Digital Product Passport should be assigned.

Three approaches are currently being considered.

Model Level

A single Digital Product Passport represents an entire product model. All products sharing the same design use the same passport.

Batch Level

Each production batch receives its own passport, enabling greater traceability while remaining practical for manufacturers.

Item Level

Every individual product receives its own unique Digital Product Passport, allowing complete lifecycle tracking from manufacture to resale, repair, rental and recycling.

CIRPASS-2 identifies item-level passports as the long-term vision because they enable unique digital product identities, authentication, resale history, repair records and full lifecycle traceability.

However, industry feedback also recognises that item-level implementation introduces significant costs and operational complexity. Many stakeholders therefore support a phased transition, beginning with model- or batch-level passports before eventually moving towards fully item-level Digital Product Passports.

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European Standards Behind Digital Product Passports

The technical implementation of Digital Product Passports is being standardised by CEN-CENELEC JTC 24, the European Joint Technical Committee responsible for developing harmonised standards under ESPR.

Rather than prescribing specific software platforms, these standards define the common rules that allow Digital Product Passport systems developed by different organisations to communicate with one another securely and consistently.

The Standards Cover

• Product Identifiers
• Data Carriers (QR Codes, NFC & RFID)
• Data Exchange Formats
• Lifecycle APIs
• Interoperability
• Data Storage Requirements
• Authentication & Security
• Access Rights & Governance

Together, these standards ensure that Digital Product Passport platforms can exchange information reliably across businesses, industries and countries while supporting long-term interoperability throughout the product lifecycle.

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France's AGEC Law: A Preview of What's Coming

Even before the introduction of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), France took an important step towards greater product transparency through the AGEC (Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy) Law.

Since 1 January 2024, larger companies placing covered products on the French market have been required to disclose environmental characteristics such as recycled content, repairability, recyclability, traceability and the presence of certain environmental attributes.

Although AGEC is not itself a Digital Product Passport regulation, it is widely regarded as the closest real-world implementation of many DPP principles and provides valuable insight into how future Digital Product Passports may operate across Europe.

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Beyond Europe: Towards Global Digital Product Passports

Digital Product Passports are no longer just a European initiative. Around the world, governments and international organisations are exploring digital product information systems to improve sustainability, traceability and consumer transparency.

Alongside Europe's work, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is developing international standards for Digital Product Passports through ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 32/WG 4. These efforts aim to establish globally recognised approaches for product identification, data exchange, authentication and lifecycle information.

As sustainability regulations continue to emerge worldwide, Digital Product Passports are expected to become a global framework adopted across industries including textiles, electronics, batteries, automotive and construction products.

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Timeline

• 2020 — Digital Product Passports introduced under the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.
• 2022 — CIRPASS pilot project begins.
• 18 July 2024 — ESPR enters into force.
• 2025–2027 — Development of European standards, CIRPASS-2 implementation and JRC technical guidance.
• 19 July 2026 — EU Digital Product Passport Registry scheduled to become operational.
• Expected Mid-2027 — Textile Delegated Act published.
• Expected 2028 onwards — Digital Product Passports begin implementation for textile products.
• 2030 onwards — Wider adoption across additional product sectors.

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What Should Brands Do Today?

Although the final textile-specific requirements are still being developed, businesses should begin preparing now rather than waiting for mandatory implementation.

Early preparation will reduce future compliance challenges and position organisations to respond quickly as Digital Product Passport requirements are introduced.

Recommended Actions

• Engage suppliers and improve supply chain transparency.
• Start collecting structured product and sustainability data.
• Standardise product identifiers such as GTINs.
• Digitise compliance documentation.
• Implement systems capable of integrating with ERP, PLM, LCA and Digital Product Passport platforms.
• Monitor developments in ESPR, CIRPASS-2, JRC guidance and European standards.

Businesses that begin preparing today will be significantly better positioned when Digital Product Passport requirements become mandatory.

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Conclusion

Digital Product Passports represent far more than another compliance requirement—they are the foundation of a more transparent, traceable and circular economy.

By bringing together product information, supply chain traceability, sustainability metrics, repair guidance and regulatory compliance into a single digital record, Digital Product Passports have the potential to transform how products are designed, manufactured, sold, used, repaired and recycled.

While the European Union is driving this transition through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), initiatives such as CIRPASS, CIRPASS-2, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), CEN-CENELEC standards, France's AGEC Law and emerging ISO standards demonstrate that Digital Product Passports are rapidly evolving into a global framework for trusted product information.

For brands, manufacturers and exporters, the message is clear: Digital Product Passports are no longer a future concept—they are the next generation of product information. Organisations that invest in digital readiness, structured product data and supply chain transparency today will be best prepared for tomorrow's regulatory and market expectations.

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