What Is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that travels with a product throughout its lifecycle. It contains detailed information about a product’s components, origin, environmental impact, repairability, and recycling potential. DPPS are designed to increase transparency, traceability, and sustainability, especially in complex supply chains like fashion, electronics, and automotive sectors.
Unlike traditional labelling or QR codes that only offer surface-level data, DPPs provide granular, structured information accessible across the entire value chain, from suppliers and manufacturers to recyclers and consumers.
Why Are Digital Product Passports Gaining Momentum?
There are several converging factors driving DPP adoption:
- Regulatory Pressure:
The European Union’s Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan have made DPPs a legislative priority. Starting in 2026, DPPs will be required for key product categories (e.g., textiles, batteries, and electronics) under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). - Consumer Demand for Transparency:
Consumers are starting to expect to know where products come from, how they’re made, and whether they’re ethically sourced. DPPs provide this information in a digital format that can be accessed via smartphone or the web. - Sustainability and ESG Goals:
Companies face growing pressure to report on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics. DPPs act as automated, verifiable data sources that support sustainability claims, reduce greenwashing, and streamline compliance reporting. - Digital Transformation in Supply Chains:
Advances in IoT, blockchain, and AI are enabling the seamless integration of DPPs into existing Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, making it easier to track, update, and analyse product data in real time.
What Will 2027 Look Like?
By 2027, Digital Product Passports will shift from niche innovation to industry standard, particularly in regulated markets. Here’s what to expect:
- Mandatory Compliance in the EU:
Companies selling regulated products in the EU will be legally required to implement DPPs. Non-compliance could result in fines, import bans, or loss of market access. - Interoperability and Standards:
International frameworks and data schemas will emerge to support interoperability, with backing from organisations like ISO, GS1, and W3C. - New Business Models:
Brands will leverage DPPs for product-as-a-service, buy-back schemes, and digital resale platforms, enhancing circularity and customer engagement. - AI-Powered Product Intelligence:
Companies will use the data in DPPs to predict maintenance needs, optimise recycling logistics, and improve product design through feedback loops. - Integration with Digital Identity & Blockchain:
DPPs may be linked to a product’s digital twin or registered on blockchains to guarantee authenticity and enable secure, tamper-proof records of ownership and provenance.
Who Needs to Act Now?
- Manufacturers should map supply chain data and engage with technology partners to pilot DPPs.
- Retailers and brands must strategise how to use DPPs for competitive advantage, whether through sustainability storytelling, traceability, or new customer experiences.
- Governments and standards bodies must provide clear guidelines, ensure data protection, and support small businesses in transitioning.
- Startup Companies: Seize the opportunity, leveraging Resolutis’ experience.
Conclusion
By 2027, Digital Product Passports won’t just be a regulatory checkbox, they’ll be an essential part of doing business in a digitised, transparent, and circular economy. Forward-thinking companies are already investing in DPP infrastructure today to future-proof operations, meet compliance, and lead in sustainability.
Are you ready?
If not, and you need to be, let’s chat! Here at Resolutis, we have a Digital Product Passport reference solution in Rust, and we can help you roll this out across your products. For more information, please email john@resolutis.com