The Digital Product Passport, or Digital Product Passport (DPP), is emerging as one of the major regulatory innovations of the decade in Europe. Driven by the European Green Deal and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), this system promises to radically transform our relationship with objects by introducing intelligent traceability throughout their lifecycle.
What is the digital product passport?
Definition and concept
The Digital Product Passport is a unique digital identifier associated with a physical product, centralizing all relevant data about its life: regulatory compliance, technical characteristics, material composition, usage history, maintenance instructions, repair possibilities, and end-of-life modalities. It is a true "digital twin" that accompanies the physical product from its design to its recycling or destruction.
This passport takes the form of a standardized digital sheet accessible via various marking means: QR code, RFID chip (Radio-Frequency Identification), NFC tag (Near Field Communication), or 2D barcode. By simply scanning this label with a smartphone or dedicated reader, users instantly access all essential product information.
DPP objectives
- Strengthen consumer confidence
- Stimulate eco-design
- Facilitate recycling and repair
- Create new circular business models
Deployment schedule
Key dates to remember
February 2027
Battery passport entry into force
July 2027
Obligation for textiles and clothing
October 2027
Obligation for iron and steel products
2027-2030
Progressive deployment for all products
Technologies at the heart of DPP
Physical supports: QR code, RFID and NFC
Several technologies coexist to carry DPP data:
- QR codes: the most accessible and economical solution, easily scannable with a standard smartphone.
- RFID technology: particularly suited to industrial environments, enabling automatic reading without visual contact.
- NFC tags: offering a compromise between security and accessibility, particularly popular in the luxury sector.
- Blockchain: increasingly explored as a complementary layer, it offers a decentralized and tamper-proof system.
Benefits of DPP for companies
From constraint to strategic opportunity
The DPP should not be perceived solely as a costly regulatory obligation, but as a lever for transformation and differentiation.
New business models
The DPP facilitates "product as a service" models, rental, leasing, and second-hand management.
Fight against counterfeiting
The unique identifier and blockchain allow reliable product authentication.
Supply chain optimization
RFID technology coupled with DPP enables real-time product tracking, reducing inventory costs.
Customer trust
Transparency strengthens consumer confidence and improves loyalty.
Pioneers show the way
LVMH - "DPP Factory"
The luxury group created a "DPP Factory" to deliver a complete solution to its various houses. LVMH co-founded the Aura Blockchain consortium with Prada and Cartier.
Decathlon - Massive RFID
The sports equipment giant has massively adopted RFID for all its products, automating its supply chain and storing all lifecycle events.
Volvo - Battery Passport
The automaker integrated a battery passport into its EX90 SUV in 2025, accessible via QR code, considering this device as an opportunity for sustainability leadership.
Towards a future of transparency and sustainability
The Digital Product Passport represents a true paradigm shift: we move from the finished product to the "living" product, connected to its history and responsibilities. Every object becomes speaking, documented, traceable, and an actor in the circular economy.
Companies that can anticipate and exploit the DPP's potential beyond mere regulatory compliance will have a decisive competitive advantage: strengthened consumer confidence, new revenues from circularity, administrative simplification, operational optimization, and sustainability leadership.