The digital product passport: the key to sustainability and transparency

It is becoming increasingly important for buyers to choose a sustainable and transparent product. The Digital Product Passport, or DPP for short, is designed to help with this. This serves as a kind of profile of the product purchased and provides information about its origin, composition, repair and dismantling options and disposal at the end of its service life, among other things. Based on the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, the DPP acts as an important tool for a climate-friendly and resource-conserving economy.

The path to a climate-friendly and resource-conserving economy

The aim of the digital product passport is to significantly improve transparency and sustainability in the consumer goods market. Relevant product data is made accessible to all stakeholders by making the data detailed, standardized and therefore easier to compare. This not only serves to promote sustainable products, but also enables consumers to make informed decisions. The transparency of the DPP also makes it easier for the authorities to carry out checks and inspections.

From creation to devaluation: everything at a glance

The Digital Product Passport offers a comprehensive overview of products by providing detailed information about their identity, origin, composition, properties and environmental impact. The DPP not only highlights the repairability and recyclability of a product, but also provides information on the components, materials and chemicals used. It also contains important information on reparability, the availability of spare parts and proper disposal. This transparency enables the consumer to have an overview of the entire life cycle of products and thus make informed decisions. In addition, the DPP can contain production data, quality control data and service data that paint a holistic picture of the product and underline its sustainability and quality.

All information about a product comes together in the digital product passport. This gives consumers an overview of the entire product life cycle.

Stimulating impulses from politics

The EU Green Deal proposes comprehensive measures for a profound ecological change. The DPP is highlighted as a key solution. It aims to provide reliable, comparable and verifiable information that enables consumers to make more sustainable choices while minimizing the risk of greenwashing. In addition, the digital product passport offers a solution to the problems identified in the Circular Economy Action Plan by creating a framework for sustainability efforts within the EU. The durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability of products should provide an incentive for a circular economy instead of a throwaway society. The DPP also addresses the handling of hazardous chemicals in products and increasing energy and resource efficiency, thus creating a framework for sustainability efforts within the EU. The European Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) is intended to replace the Ecodesign Directive and make products more sustainable. The digital transformation is to be achieved through regulations on energy efficiency and the digital product passport as a central driver.

Digital twin and digital product passport: these are the differences

In the it’s OWL project ‘EcoTwin’, the Fraunhofer IEM, together with the Wuppertal Institute and the Kannegiesser company, is identifying the interfaces between the two concepts of the digital twin and the digital product passport. A digital twin is a digital representation of a product that records, processes and networks selected information for various applications in real time. A digital product passport is a digital profile that provides information about a product throughout its entire life cycle, including production, use and maintenance. In the ‘EcoTwin’ project, both a digital twin and a first digital product passport are being designed and implemented at Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH.

The battery passport as a pioneer of the digital product passport

The battery passport can be seen as the forerunner of the digital product passport, as it already fulfills a similar function but is specifically tailored to batteries. Batteries are crucial for the transition to environmentally friendly mobility and for the widespread use of renewable energies. The aim is to extend the life cycle of the entire battery system as far as possible and to reuse the raw materials, materials and components remaining after initial use. The battery passport – based on the EU battery passport – is intended to play a pioneering role and help implement the aforementioned goals.

The first steps towards sustainable battery value creation

From February 2027, every new traction battery, two-wheeler battery and industrial battery with a capacity of more than two kWh placed on the market in the EU must be equipped with such a passport. This is intended to promote transparency and sustainability in the battery value chain, reduce the environmental impact and support the reuse of batteries. In future, manufacturers will be obliged to document all emissions generated during the manufacture, use and disposal of their products. The battery passport enables complete documentation of the battery life cycle, from raw material extraction, production and use through to reuse and recycling. It records the origin of a battery, logs the relevant usage history and comprehensively documents the sustainability and responsibility of the supply chain. This includes information on the carbon footprint, working conditions during raw material extraction, the battery materials and components used, hazardous substances contained, resource efficiency, performance and service life, as well as battery condition assessments and further information on recyclability and repair. In addition, dismantling instructions help to ensure that the battery components are recycled completely and with as little effort as possible, thus closing the cycle of sustainability.

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