A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured set of data about a specific product, reachable through a data carrier — almost always a QR code — printed on or attached to the product. It lets buyers, repairers, recyclers and authorities retrieve trustworthy information about what the product is made of and how it should be handled at end of life.
The core ingredients of a DPP
- A unique identifier for the individual item (not just the model).
- A data carrier — a QR code or similar — linking to the passport.
- Tiered access, so each audience sees only the data they are entitled to.
- Persistence: the data must stay available for years, at a stable URL.
- A standards-ready shape, mappable to GS1 Digital Link and JSON-LD.
The battery passport is the first DPP
Batteries are the first product category with a mandatory DPP, under the EU Battery Regulation, from 18 February 2027. The ESPR will extend the concept to textiles, electronics and other categories over the following years.