The Digital Product Passport (DPP)2 is a data set that enables the provision and addition of further product data or the updating of useful information throughout the entire product life cycle. It represents a digitally networked ID card for raw materials, products and components in which relevant information can be stored. This includes technical information according to the respective construction product standard, the guarantee of technical usability with minimal use of materials as well as environmental product declarations (EPD) or origin information that can be used to optimize sustainability in the planning, use, reuse and disposal of construction products. This information will be accessible electronically, making it easier for consumers, manufacturers and authorities to make more informed decisions regarding sustainability, circular economy and regulatory compliance. This will enable customs authorities to automatically verify the presence and authenticity of products imported with the DPP. The information to be included in the DPP will be determined by the EU Commission in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders and will depend on the product in question.
A machine-readable data carrier3 (e.g. DataMatrix, QR code or NFC tag) is used to make comprehensive information about a product accessible. The data carrier serves as a reference to the data sources or systems to be used (e.g. website or database). Physical data carriers (e.g. USB stick or DVD) are not used for the DPP.
A DPP contains all useful product and material information over the life cycle, such as
- legally required information in declarations of performance (DoP)
- Building material parameters relevant to building physics
- Material composition and its origin
- Environmental impact for the life cycle phases of production and disposal (EPD)
- Information on maintenance, repair, reusability and recyclability
- Information on external certifications and labels
- Indication of origin of raw materials
The DPP promotes transparency, sustainability and the circular economy by making data openly accessible in a structured and machine-readable form.
The system around the DPP consists of two main elements:
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1. a unique product identifier (UPI), encoded in a data carrier, which serves to link the physical product with the associated information. The data carrier can be physically attached to the product (e.g. as a label or printed directly on it), but it can also be contained in the product packaging or accompanying documents. The exact way in which the data carrier is attached may vary depending on the product and industry. |
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- The digital product passport, or more precisely the digital IT image of a product with all the associated information, including the access and security architecture.
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The manufacturer or distributor uses the DPP to make all the necessary information available to supply chain players, regulatory authorities and consumers. This transparency makes it easier for users along the value chain to access the data they require in order to evaluate it in the building model using appropriate algorithms. This means that the life cycle assessment data can be used during the planning stage to optimize and evaluate the ecological aspect of sustainability over the life cycle. |
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Furthermore, suitable spare parts can be found more easily. At the end of the product life cycle, the DPP facilitates the recycling and reuse of materials. The DPP therefore helps to promote the circular economy and a sustainable construction industry.
Info boxes are used to highlight information.
The QR codes or QR codes given in this book refer either to the sources of the images or to further information. In the digital versions, the QR codes are clickable (as are the cross-references in purple in the text) and in the web version, the QR codes are omitted and the links are embedded by means of the note (link) instead.
2 commission.europa.eu – Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation – Digital Product Passport
3 ISO/IEC 19762-1 defines a data carrier as “[…] a medium for storing data as a relay mechanism to a […] system”. A data carrier can be an optical code, such as a QR code, or a radio tag, e.g. an RFID or NFC tag. A data carrier thus serves as an “intermediary element” between the identification of a product and its data record.
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