What is a Digital Product Passport 


A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a comprehensive digital record that accompanies a product throughout its entire lifecycle. 

This digital record is expected to include information such as: 

  • Manufacturing and supply chain information
  • Materials used and product composition
  • Sustainability certifications and compliance 
  • Repair, recycling and circularity services
  • Environmental Impact

The information included in each  DPP must be based on open standards, developed with an interoperable format and shall be machine-readable, structured and searchable. 
Inspire the next generation of business services, and unlock a new wave of circular economic value.

How does a DPP work? 

Consumers can access an individual product’s digital product passport by scanning the digital marker physically attached to the product in question. Examples of these digital markers can include QR codes, NFC tagging and barcodes.

According to the EU DPP legislation, each product sold on the EU market must be provided with its own unique digital identifier, which enables the product to be recognised, tracked and documented throughout its lifecycle.

Our experts are here to advise

EU DPP Legislation

The concept of a DPP was first introduced in March 2022, when the EU called for the implementation of the Digital Product Passport for all textile products sold in the EU by 2030.

What is the EU DPP Legislation?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will be responsible for providing the framework for the digital product passport once the regulation has been approved.
The Goal of the DPP
The goal of the DPP legislation is to help consumers make informed choices when purchasing products, facilitate repairs and recycling and to ensure brands facilitate transparency about the environmental impacts of their products’ life cycle.

Compliance

The new EU DPP Legislation will require brands to examine their current supply chain, manufacturing processes, work practices, and more to ensure that they are compliant with the legal requirements.

What does compliance with DPP legislation entail?
Some of processes brands will be required to implement include:
Identification
  • Current production process and environmental impact
  • Impact of supply chain, materials used and working conditions
  • Data collection process for all DPP information
Implementation
  • Sustainable materials in the manufacturing processes
  • Guidelines for product repairability and circularity 
  • Ethical and compliant working conditions
Regulation
  • Track entire life cycle of each product and impact
  • Monitor Environmental footprint of their production process
  • Integrate and maintain evolving  compliance measures.
Once brands collect the required information and ensure they are compliant with regulations, the data is translated into a scannable and easily accessible DPP.

Security and Counterfeit Risks

Security is crucial factor when implementing Digital Product Passports as it ensures brands are able to combat the damaging impacts of counterfeiting.

While counterfeiting has an economic cost for brands, according to a EUIPO study conducted from 2018 to 2021, the apparel sector registered a deficit of 12 billion euros due to counterfeit products, it can also damage a brand’s reputation..
Risks of Counterfeiting with DPPs
With counterfeit products come fake DPPs. As fake DPPs contain misleading and false information about a counterfeit product’s manufacturing process, material composition, sustainability and circularity details, they pose a direct threat to consumer safety and to the environment.
Brands risk being responsible for the inaccurate information the fake DPPs contain and can be accused of greenwashing, the process by which a company is accused of conveying false information about the environmental impact of a product.
Integrating a secure authentication process enables consumers to identify authentic products with accurate DPPs and supports brands in safeguarding their sustainability record.
An authentic and secure DPP enables consumers to make informed choices about their purchases and ensures they are able to activate a product’s full circularity potential.

The future proof Digital Product Passport

Historical champion of ethical fashion, Save The Duck a certified B-Corp, recently integrated a Digital Product Passport solution with the help of Certilogo

Learn about the integration process and how their DPP’s are poised to generate value for their brand and their customers.

A Secure by Design™ DPP

What does our Secure by Design™ methodology mean for your Digital Product Passports?
Digital Product Passports that are secure, reliable and accessible. Our unique security approach helps brands champion sustainability and circularity by validating authenticity.

  • Proactively intercept, recognise and manage cloned and fake product IDs on counterfeit and illicit products.
  • Ensure your products maintain their value throughout their entire lifecycle with secure authentication.
  • Natively empower circular services and protect your  brand’s circular ecosystem with internal security processes.
  • Provide certificates of authenticity and resale services that align with a brand’s circularity goals.
  • Align your compliance data with legislative requirements and protect your brand’s reputation
  • Integrate customized and scalable solutions that evolve with your business needs

DPP and Connected Products


While connected products inherently integrate the digital product passport, the two have separate, but complementary functions. A DPP is used to provide specific product details in line with legislative requirements to consumers.

Connected products allow brands to engage in a relationship with consumers by providing added value long after the initial purchase. Certilogo provides the most secure DPPs and connected product solutions that are engineered  to connect people and brands. 

We make it  easy for brands of any size to build the most valuable, long-lasting, and trusted relationships with their consumers worldwide.  

Enable your Connected Product Ecosystem

Circularity

Circularity services are not only a requirement under EU DPP, but a significant opportunity for brands to generate value and access new customers.

The Certilogo system is interoperable and offers a secure connection between consumers, brands and additional services activated through connected products. 

What do Circularity services entail?

- Material composition details to support repair and recycle services
- Recycling services to prevent unnecessary waste
- Resale services to facilitate product reuse and resale

Over 80+ brands have trusted Certilogo to help them build customizable services for connected products.

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