Digital Product Passport: what it means for your business

From 2027 onward, certain products sold in the EU will need a Digital Product Passport (DPP).

The DPP is part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force on 18 July 2024. It introduces a new requirement: companies must link products placed on the EU market to a digital record containing standardized product information.

For companies selling into the EU, this changes how product data is collected, structured, and shared.

The requirement goes beyond compliance. In practice, it becomes a condition for market access. Without the required digital product information, companies cannot place products on the EU market.

What is a Digital Product Passport?

A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital record linked to a product.

It contains information about the product, its components, or its packaging. A unique identifier connects the data, and users can access it electronically through a digital tag, such as a QR code or similar technology.

For example, depending on the product category, the passport may include information such as:

• Technical product performance
• Materials and their origin
• Repair and maintenance information
• Recycling capabilities
• Lifecycle environmental impacts

According to the European Commission, the aim is to make product information easier to access and use. As a resutlt, this helps consumers, companies, and authorities make better decisions related to sustainability, circularity, and regulatory compliance.

In practice, the Digital Product Passport also creates opportunities for companies. Better product data improves supply-chain transparency, lifecycle management, and product credibility.

When companies see this value, adoption tends to accelerate and sustainability and circularity can scale more effectively.

 

Timeline and product categories

Implementation will happen in phases and by product group.

Final products

Textiles and apparel → 2027
Tyres → 2027
Furniture → 2028
Mattresses → 2029

Intermediate products

Iron and steel → 2026
Aluminium → 2027

Horizontal requirements

Repairability requirements (including scoring) → 2027
Recycled content and recyclability of electrical and electronic equipment → 2029

These timelines are based on the EU’s first ESPR working plan for 2025–2030, which identifies the initial product groups where new ecodesign rules and Digital Product Passports are expected.

However, one important nuance applies: the years above indicate the expected policy rollout, not the final compliance dates.

Under ESPR, each product group will be regulated through delegated acts. These legal acts will define the detailed requirements, including:

• the exact product data fields required in the passport
• the technical format and interoperability rules
• the timeline for implementation and compliance

The working plan also includes a mid-term review in 2028, which allows the European Commission to adjust priorities and add additional product groups.

For companies, these dates are best understood as preparation horizons. Product data systems and supply-chain information structures often take time to organize, especially when suppliers are involved.

 

What should companies do now?

Companies selling into the EU can already start preparing.

Key first steps include:

• Check whether your products fall within the affected categories
• Review what product data already exists
• Identify missing data and gaps
• Clarify where data sits internally and across suppliers
• Define a practical implementation roadmap

Preparing early reduces operational risk and avoids last-minute compliance pressure.

How Outlive supports implementation

Outlive helps companies translate regulatory requirements into practical action.

We support organizations in:

• assessing which products are affected
• identifying product and supply-chain data gaps
• clarifying internal responsibilities
• building realistic implementation roadmaps

The goal is to integrate the Digital Product Passport into existing processes and align it with broader sustainability strategies.

When companies implement it well, the Digital Product Passport becomes more than a compliance task. It can also strengthen transparency, product credibility, and long-term value creation.