DPP: Everything you need to know about the Digital Product Passport
Auriane Lengaigne
July 29, 2024
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To fully understand the DPP (Digital Product Passport) framework, it's important to know what European legislation it's linked to. At the top of the list is the EU's Green Deal, which aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2050. To meet this, the European Commission has developed the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) to reorganize the way products are manufactured, distributed and reintegrated into a circular economy.
The PLR is simply a digital product sheet providing information on :
Its aim is to enable the sharing of key information about products and their sustainability and circularity. In this way, it aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, by boosting material and energy efficiency, extending product life and optimizing their design, manufacture, use and end-of-life treatment.
It also helps consumers make more sustainable choices, and makes it easier for authorities to verify compliance with regulations.
Companies can use a variety of technologies to support the data in this digital passport:
- The QR code,
- The barcode,
- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags
This data medium will be present on products, so that consumers can easily access all product information.
In addition to enabling companies in the textile and fashion sector to guarantee their compliance with EU environmental regulations, the PLR enables companies to position themselves on the market as transparent players, thereby strengthening brand reputation and avoiding greenwashing, which is now penalized.
It enables us to understand the entire product value chain, thereby improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact and anticipating future regulations. (CSRD, ESPR, EURD, etc. )
The PLR is an invaluable tool for informed customers seeking clear, transparent information on the origin and composition of their product. They can easily find data on the product's recyclability or repairability, and are thus encouraged to extend its lifespan and thus reduce their ecological footprint.
In addition to circularity and sustainability, the digital passport can help reassure consumers about the authenticity of the product purchased. According to a study by True-Luxury Global Consumer Insights, more than a third of luxury goods consumers fear counterfeiting on the second-hand market. The reliable, certified data contained in the PLR thus provides added security when purchasing a product.
The latest reports from the European Commission indicate that PLR will be deployed in all relevant industries between 2026 and 2030. The first products identified as priorities include: iron and steel, aluminum, textiles (clothing and footwear), furniture including mattresses, tires, detergents, paints, lubricants, chemicals, energy-related products and information and communication technology products, as well as other electronic products.
Among these, certain industries, such as textiles and electronics, have been chosen to adopt PLR as early as 2027, earlier than other sectors, because of their significant environmental impact and/or their high circularity potential.
Final data requirements, data standards, and rendering of the PLR are not expected to be decided until 2026. However, "concrete guidance" for brands and retailers to begin preparing for the PLR is already in place as part of the ESPR.
To be ready in time, it's important for companies to follow the EU regulatory process and take swift action to reduce their environmental impact. To start with, you need to be able to collect, organize and understand all the data in your value chain.
Here are some key steps to start preparing for the PLR:
With Waro, you can collect data, measure and reduce your environmental impact thanks to our eco-design scenarios - and all in the simplest, most intuitive way possible.
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