Digital Product Passport (DPP): laws, deadlines and why it is also a marketing channel

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) makes information about a product available digitally: scanning the QR code or tapping the NFC chip opens a page with details on material, origin, care, repair and disposal. The EU is making it mandatory for more and more product groups step by step. This article explains what the passport is, which laws it is based on, when it applies to whom and why it can be much more than an obligation: a direct channel to your customers after the purchase.

First obligation

Battery passport from 18 February 2027

Framework

Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR)

Access

QR code, NFC or RFID on the product

For customers

In the browser, no app

What the Digital Product Passport is

The Digital Product Passport is a digital data set about a product that can be reached through a data carrier on the product or its packaging. The data carrier, usually a QR code, an NFC chip or an RFID tag, points to a fixed address. There you find the information the product group requires, structured and machine-readable. Depending on the product, the passport can apply to a model, a batch or a single item.

Important in everyday use: customers do not need an app. After the scan, the passport opens in the browser, whether on an iPhone, an Android device or a desktop. Retailers, repair shops, recyclers and authorities access the same data, in some cases with extended access rights.

The laws at a glance

There is no single DPP law. The passport is anchored in several EU regulations, each setting its own product groups, content and deadlines:

The Ecodesign Regulation is the framework for most products. It establishes that a product passport can be required, how it must be built technically and which principles apply to data carriers, identifiers and access rights. Whether and when a passport becomes mandatory for a specific product group, however, is only set by the delegated act for that group. The Commission has published a working plan that sets the order of the product groups.

1. 18 Jul 2024

   ESPR in force

   The Ecodesign Regulation creates the framework for product passports in almost all product groups.

2. 18 Feb 2027

   Battery passport

   The first mandatory product passport applies to certain batteries under the Battery Regulation.

3. From 2027

   More product groups

   Delegated acts for the groups in the working plan follow step by step, each with its own transition period.

Which data belongs in the passport

The exact content depends on the product group. Typical items are:

• Identification: product identifier such as GTIN, model, batch or serial number, and the responsible economic operator.
• Material and ingredients: composition, recycled content, substances of concern.
• Use: instructions, care, durability, repairability and spare parts.
• End of use: information on separation, return and disposal.
• Evidence: declarations of conformity, certificates and test reports.

More than an obligation: the passport as a marketing channel

Whoever scans the passport has your product in their hand at that moment. Hardly any other channel reaches customers so directly and so close to use. Until now, many brands lost sight of their customers at the checkout. The passport creates a touchpoint after the purchase that you design yourself. Alongside the mandatory information, which stays separate, the passport can include for example:

• A video: product demonstrations, usage tips or the story behind the product.
• Reorder: one click leads straight to the right product in your shop.
• Retailers nearby: customers find the nearest retailer, even when travelling.
• Offers: for example a scratch-off code for the next purchase.
• Quiz and interactive elements: test and reward customer knowledge.
• Current campaigns: new collections or special offers for a fixed period.

There is also the view back: every scan shows when, where and through which route a product was opened. Without personal data, you can see whether use increases after a campaign, at what times of day a product is used and which products are used regularly. Your customers get to know you better, and you get to know your customers better.

How to prepare

• Check whether you are affected: which of your products fall under the Battery Regulation, the ESPR working plan or other laws?
• Build a data basis: record product, material and supply chain data in a structured way instead of leaving it scattered across data sheets and emails.
• Involve suppliers: much of the data, for example on material and recycled content, sits with suppliers and has to be requested.
• Choose the data carrier: QR code, NFC or both, with a fixed address, for example under GS1 Digital Link.
• Start early: a first passport can be created today, as a test for data, processes and marketing, long before the obligation applies.