The EU strategy for environmentally friendly and recyclable products
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which came into force on July 18, 2024, is a key part of the European Commission's strategy for greener and more circular products. Products and their use can have a significant environmental impact. Consumption in the EU is therefore a major contributor to climate change and pollution.
The ESPR is part of a comprehensive package of measures that will make a decisive contribution to achieving the objectives of the Circular Economy Action Plan 2020. This regulation supports the EU in achieving its environmental and climate targets, doubling the circular economy rate and achieving the energy efficiency targets by 2030.
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Digital Product Passport (DPP)
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) has its roots and impetus in environmental policy - both at European and national level. At EU level, the most important political frameworks are the Green Deal (since 2019), the Circular Economy Action Plan (2020) and the planned EU Ecodesign Regulation ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products 2022).
The DPP is the digital ID card for products, components and materials. All relevant product information is stored centrally with the aim of promoting the sustainability of products, increasing their recyclability and improving compliance with legal regulations.
The information in the DPP will be available electronically, enabling consumers, producers and authorities to make informed purchasing decisions in terms of sustainability, circularity and legal compliance. In addition, customs will be able to automatically verify the presence and authenticity of the DPP for imported products. The information to be included in the DPP will be determined by the Commission in close cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, industry representatives and authorities and will depend on the type of product in question.
A digital product passport (DPP) represents the digital identity of a physical product. It centrally records all product data along the entire value and life cycle, making only the information relevant to the respective stakeholders accessible. The digital product passport can be thought of as the digital twin of the physical product, reflecting the entire life cycle of the product.
This includes all phases from production and use through to disposal or recycling. It is as if every product has a comprehensive digital "life cycle" that can be viewed at any time.
The current status of the policy
Concepts and definitions for the DPP have already been developed and are firmly anchored in various political directives and regulations.
The European Commission is currently pursuing five key policy objectives with the DPP (CIRPASS 2023):
- Improving sustainable production
- Extending product life and optimizing product use
- Creating new business opportunities for economic operators through circular value preservation and recovery
- Supporting consumers in choosing sustainable products
- Supporting authorities in the review of regulations
One of the first implementations of the DPP in the EU will be the so-called "battery passport", as set out in Article 77 of the new EU Battery Regulation. The battery passport, which is scheduled for mandatory introduction by February 18, 2027, will serve as an electronic record that collects information generated throughout the life cycle of a battery
This will be followed by intermediate products, such as iron, steel and aluminum, and final products, such as textiles, furniture, tires, cleaning products, paints, lubricants, chemicals, energy products, information and communication technology products and other electronics.
Where do companies get the data for the product passport?
One of the biggest challenges in creating a digital product passport is to centrally record, collect and consolidate all relevant information.
External data sources from suppliers and partner companies:
- Supplier data: This data is provided by the suppliers and contains information about the origin and previous processing of the materials.
- Partner data: Partner companies may provide data on the disposal or maintenance of products. This information varies depending on the product and company organization.
- Internal data, is information that is generated throughout the value creation process within the company:
- Production data: This data comes from the production phase and can contain information about materials used, production processes, machine and energy consumption and much more.
- Quality control data: This information is generated during quality inspection and assurance and can include details on product performance, testing and compliance issues.
- Service data: This data includes information about the sale, delivery and service of products.
It is essential to establish clear and structured digital processes in the company in order to capture and manage data efficiently. Unstructured data in text form or analog data recorded on paper are not suitable.
Added value of the digital product passport
By providing detailed information on manufacturing, materials and environmental impact, the DPP enables companies and consumers to make sustainable and data-based decisions. This promotes environmentally friendly production practices and product designs.
In addition, the DPP can increase recycling and disposal efficiency while optimizing resources and costs. The data provided by digital product passports also helps to simplify the reuse of products and materials.
By providing detailed product information, targeted and customer-oriented offers can be developed that enable new business models relating to the product and the circular economy
Improved data availability and transparency along the value chain help to increase efficiency, leading to cost savings and optimized production processes. Another strategic advantage is the increased resilience of the supply chain. Improved data availability enables companies to identify potential risks in the supply chain more quickly and take action at an early stage.
Thanks to improved transparency along the value chain, companies can ensure that they also comply with the provisions of supply chain due diligence and corporate sustainability reporting (CSR).
DPP marking with Auto-ID technology
Special attention is paid to the further processing of all data in the downstream IoT systems. Physical objects are to be identified using RFID/NFC technology and/or 2D codes in a unique, durable manner and with a standardized syntax. This allows the tagged objects to be seamlessly integrated into the IoT system cycle.
Some general requirements for data input and data protection have already been defined, however. According to the European Commission's proposal for Ecodesign of Sustainable Products, the following general requirements apply to a Digital Product Passport:
1. The DPP must be linked to a digital data carrier via a (unique) identifier. The data carrier must comply with the standard ("ISO/ICE") 15459:2015.
2. All information in the DPP must refer to a specific product or batch number. The information must meet the following requirements
- Open standard
- Machine readable
- Structured
- Searchable for all parties involved
3. Access to the information in the DPP is regulated. This will be done in accordance with the requirements to be established by the European Commission.
Why clear identification or language is so important:
According to the forthcoming DPP regulations, a unique and unmistakable data carrier will be required at least at batch level, but probably also at product unit level. This data carrier must also be secure and machine-readable, while providing transparency so that relevant product data can be viewed by anyone if required.
Unique and standardized identification is a great advantage in all processes. Information such as drawings, operating instructions and spare parts lists can be recorded in data systems and linked to an identification medium, ideally the UID (=globally unique number in the chip) of an RFID/NFC tag.
The process also works in reverse: information from data systems, such as inspection reports, inventory levels or log documentation, can be written back to the RFID/NFC tag. For identification along the entire value creation cycle of an object, the RFID/NFC identification carrier is therefore sufficient to provide all participants in the process chain with information on a physical object and to update this continuously.
Clear and memorable marking
Unique identification is essential for accessing and maintaining information from the digital twin. The key to success lies in simple presentation and implementation. The newly developed logos, which clearly identify the Globally Biunique ID and thus introduce a new industry standard in the process industry, meet these requirements.
New possibilities through RFID/NFC technology
Since physical objects are often used in areas that are very dirty or difficult to access, contactless identification over distance using RFID/NFC technology offers significant advantages over 2D codes. NFC technology is supported by many smartphones and other mobile readers. An RFID/NFC tag is attached to the physical object, with various attachment options available - it can be glued, riveted, embedded in a material or attached with cable ties.
Our RFID/NFC tags meet a wide range of requirements
Optimal attachment to the object is just as important as the correct operating frequency, chip coding, readability using a wide variety of RFID/NFC readers, selection of materials suitable for the ambient conditions and high mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance.
The RFID/NFC tags from smart-TEC - whether classic metal type plates, digital type plates, industrial transponders or smart-LABEL with integrated RFID/NFC technology - meet all these requirements. All needs in terms of shape, color, size, imprint, material, attachment as well as thermal, chemical and mechanical resistance are covered.