Digital Product Passport – Check-In #6

Plattform Industrie 4.0 now regularly provides updates on the Digital Product Passport (DPP) through the “DPP Check-In”. These Check-Ins summarize specific updates on various aspects of the Digital Product Passport (such as EC activities, standards, projects & initiatives), and create space for discussion, exchange, and questions. In the sixth Check-In on September 9, 2024, the opportunity to participate in the CIRPASS-2 project was introduced, and the focus topic was the European Commission’s requirements for standardizing the DPP.

This article offers a summary of the discussed points. To receive all updates and invitations to the DPP Check-Ins, please register here or email Verena Halmschlager.

CURRENT STATUS: DPP & ESPR

An overview of the DPP is available in short form in the DPP Fact Sheet (as of 07/24), more extensively in the document “Digital Product Passport – Status Quo” (as of 12/23), or in the first DPP Check-In. You can also find the overview page of Plattform Industrie 4.0 on the DPP here, and here all presentations from the event “Digital Product Passport – Framework, Use-Cases and Challenges” that took place in Vienna in November 2023. Below is a brief summary since the last Check-In.

The Ecodesign Regulation entered into force on July 18, 2024. A work plan for 2025–2028 is expected in March/April 2025. From 2026, product-specific regulations will be developed through delegated acts. Once adopted, an 18-month transition period will usually apply.

As of now, the following product groups are prioritized: Iron and steel, aluminium, textiles (especially clothing and footwear), furniture (including mattresses), tyres, detergents, paints, lubricants, chemicals, energy-related products, ICT products, and other electronics.

Textiles and iron & steel will be the first product groups covered in delegated acts, with the DPP expected to take effect in 2027. Batteries (from 2027) and construction products (from 2028) will be regulated separately. The European Commission will regularly update the list of priority products.

The new draft of the Ecodesign Regulation (Article V) lists the following criteria. Which criteria will apply to which product groups will be defined in the delegated acts:

  • Durability
  • Reliability
  • Reusability
  • Upgradability
  • Reparability
  • Maintainability
  • Presence of hazardous substances
  • Energy consumption and efficiency
  • Water usage and efficiency
  • Resource use and efficiency
  • Recycled content
  • Remanufacturability
  • Recyclability
  • Recoverability of materials
  • Environmental impacts (including CO2 and environmental footprint)
  • Expected amount of waste

The current timeline of the DPP is illustrated in the following graphic:

CIRPASS-2

In May 2024, the European flagship project on the Digital Product Passport “CIRPASS-2” was launched, with Plattform Industrie 4.0 as one of 49 partners. CIRPASS-2 focuses on moving from theory to practice, demonstrating the DPP in real environments across value chains in textiles, electronics, tyres, and construction – with 13 use cases.

CIRPASS-2 will also host a stakeholder community and five expert groups, which are open to external participants:

  • EWG1: Observatory Board: European and Global Regulatory Context
  • EWG2: Standardisation Liaisons
  • EWG3: Textile Stakeholders Group
  • EWG4: Electronics Stakeholders Group
  • EWG5: Customisation and Deployment of DPPs in Other Sectors

Each group is limited to 100 participants; registration remains open until the limit is reached. Details are available on the CIRPASS-2 homepage.

Further Updates

  • An official stakeholder forum, the “Ecodesign Forum”, will be published in the coming weeks. The call for membership will appear in the EU Commission’s expert group register and on the ESPR website.
  • A comprehensive Q&A document is currently being developed and is expected to be published on the ESPR website in September/October.
  • Numerous Austrian and European projects related to the DPP are already underway. These include:
    • DPP4Plastics – A Digital Product Passport for Plastics
    • DaToo – Data-driven tool for material and lubricant selection in decarbonized fuel applications
    • KIRAMET – AI-based recycling of metal composite waste
    • CE-PASS – Industrial research on digital product passports in sustainable vehicle design and IKT systems
    • UNDERPIN – EU data space for holistic asset management in critical manufacturing
    • MoLIBity – Functional recycling for lithium-ion batteries from mobility applications

Stakeholders can already participate in the Preparatory Study for Iron & Steel and the Preparatory Study for Textiles by the European Commission.

At the EU level, the “Circular Tech Forum” acts as a DPP network and forum. The next meeting is planned for September 16, 2024 in Cologne. Click here for the homepage.

European Commission Requirements for DPP Standardisation

In the 6th Check-In, Otto Handle (Convenor of CEN/CENELEC JTC 24 WG4) addressed the European Commission’s requirements for standardising the DPP. The slides can be downloaded HERE. Key points include:

  • The Digital Product Passport is coming! Products will not be marketable in the EU without it (except a few exempted groups).
  • The DPP is a valuable tool both ecologically and economically – if used properly.
  • The Commission has defined extensive yet sensible requirements in a standardization request:
    • Any person or software must have free, permanent, global, human- and machine-readable access to environmental and maintenance-related information.
    • Publishing and using the DPP should be as easy as using a website.
    • Any technology that follows JTC 24 standards must be able to participate – no vendor lock-in.
    • The DPP must be SME-friendly.
    • The EU must be free to define what information each product-specific DPP must contain.

Prepare now:

  • Organize product manuals, service data, etc.
  • Stay updated on developments
  • Determine necessary data points
  • Involve software providers and suppliers
  • Prepare for data usage by customers

Benefits:

  • Easier sustainability comparisons
  • More efficient, eco-friendly products
  • Simplified reporting & taxonomy
  • Better service and maintenance
  • Material recovery
  • Reduced health & environmental risks

USEFUL INFORMATION:

The next Check-In is expected at the end of October. To be added to the distribution list, please sign up here or email Verena Halmschlager.