Digital Product Passport (DPP): The Complete Guide for 2026
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a standardized digital record that contains environmental, traceability, and compliance information about a product throughout its lifecycle. Mandated by the European ESPR regulation (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation 2024/1781), the DPP will become mandatory for most products sold in the EU starting 2027, beginning with textiles and batteries.
What Is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital document that accompanies a physical product throughout its entire lifecycle — from manufacturing to end-of-life recycling. It provides structured, machine-readable information about the product's composition, environmental footprint, origin, repairability, and recyclability.
Think of it as a product's "digital identity card." Just as a passport identifies a person and tracks where they've been, a DPP identifies a product and records its environmental and compliance data. Consumers access it by scanning a QR code on the product label.
The concept was introduced by the European Commission as part of the European Green Deal and formalized through the ESPR regulation (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), adopted in 2024 under reference 2024/1781. The DPP is a cornerstone of the EU's circular economy strategy.
Why Are Digital Product Passports Becoming Mandatory?
The EU's ESPR regulation mandates Digital Product Passports for most products sold in the European market. The goal is threefold: (1) give consumers transparent information about what they buy, (2) enable regulators to verify compliance efficiently, and (3) facilitate repair, reuse, and recycling by making product data accessible to all stakeholders in the value chain.
The regulation is being rolled out sector by sector, with delegated acts specifying exactly which data must be included for each product category. Here is the expected timeline:
| Sector | Expected Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Batteries & EV batteries | February 2027 | Delegated act adopted |
| Textiles & Fashion | 2027 | Delegated act expected 2026 |
| Electronics & ICT | 2028-2029 | Under discussion |
| Furniture | 2028-2029 | Under discussion |
| Iron, Steel & Aluminium | 2028-2030 | Preliminary stage |
What Data Does a Digital Product Passport Contain?
The exact data requirements vary by product category, but the ESPR defines a core set of information that every DPP must include. This data is structured to be both human-readable (via a public web page) and machine-readable (via standardized formats like JSON-LD).
GTIN (barcode), serial/batch number, manufacturer GLN, economic operator information — all ESPR-mandated identifiers.
Carbon footprint (kg CO₂e), water consumption, recycled content percentage, recyclability status, substances of concern.
Country of manufacturing, facility identification (UFI/GLN), tier 1 supplier, production date, material composition with origin.
Recycling instructions, repairability score, care instructions, disassembly guidance — everything needed for circular economy.
How to Create a Digital Product Passport
Creating a DPP doesn't require deep technical expertise. Modern platforms like DPPify offer guided workflows that walk you through each required field, ensuring ESPR compliance from the start.
- 1
Enter your product data
Choose a product template (textile, electronics, batteries...) and fill in the guided form. The completion score shows you which ESPR-required fields are still missing.
- 2
Publish your passport
With one click, your DPP gets a public web page, a GS1 Digital Link QR code, and a UNTP Verifiable Credential. Everything is generated automatically.
- 3
Print and apply the QR code
Download the QR code and add it to your product labels. Consumers, retailers, and regulators can scan it to access all product data instantly.
DPP Standards: GS1 Digital Link, UNTP & Verifiable Credentials
The DPP ecosystem relies on open standards to ensure interoperability. The GS1 Digital Link standard provides a universal URI structure that encodes product identifiers (GTIN, GLN) into a web-resolvable URL. When embedded in a QR code, this allows any scanner to access the DPP data directly.
The United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) goes further by defining how product data can be exchanged as Verifiable Credentials — cryptographically signed documents that prove data authenticity. DPPify supports both GS1 Digital Link and UNTP out of the box, ensuring your DPPs are interoperable with any system.
Digital Product Passport by Industry
Textiles & Fashion
The textile sector is first in line, with obligations expected by 2027. DPPs for textiles must include fiber composition with origin, care and recycling instructions, carbon footprint, water consumption, and substances of concern. This is particularly impactful for fashion brands and retailers importing into the EU.
Batteries & Electric Vehicles
The EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) already mandates digital passports for EV batteries from February 2027. Battery DPPs must include capacity, state of health, raw material sourcing, carbon footprint, and recycled content — making them the most data-intensive DPP category.
Battery Passport 2027: everything to know →
Electronics, Furniture & Construction
These sectors will follow between 2028 and 2030. While specific delegated acts are still under discussion, the direction is clear: every manufactured product sold in the EU will eventually need a Digital Product Passport.
How DPPify Simplifies DPP Compliance
DPPify is the all-in-one platform designed for European SMEs who need to create Digital Product Passports without technical complexity. Here's what sets us apart:
- No-code guided creation — our 4-step form walks you through every ESPR-required field with a real-time completion score
- GS1 Digital Link QR codes generated automatically — compliant and ready to print on your labels
- UNTP Verifiable Credentials — your data is cryptographically signed for authenticity
- Multilingual public pages — each published DPP has a web page accessible in French and English
- Bulk CSV import — import your entire product catalog in minutes with automatic column mapping
Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Product Passports
Is the Digital Product Passport already mandatory?
Not yet for most product categories. The EU Battery Regulation requires battery DPPs from February 2027, and textiles are expected to follow in 2027. However, companies that start early gain a competitive advantage and avoid last-minute compliance rushes.
How much does it cost to create a Digital Product Passport?
With DPPify, you can create up to 5 DPPs for free. Paid plans start at affordable rates for SMEs, scaling with the number of passports you need. There are no setup fees or long-term commitments.
Do I need to be technical to create a DPP?
No. DPPify is designed as a no-code tool. The guided form walks you through each field step by step, and the completion score tells you exactly what's left to fill in for full ESPR compliance.
What happens if I don't comply with DPP requirements?
Non-compliance with ESPR means your products cannot be legally sold in the EU market. This applies to manufacturers, importers, and distributors alike. Starting early ensures you're ready when regulations take effect.