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- Why the EU is introducing Digital Product Passports (DPPs)
With the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) now in force (18 July 2024), the EU has set a course for every product sold in the Single Market to carry a Digital Product Passport—a cloud-based “ID card” that stores verified data on composition, origins, repairability, carbon footprint and end-of-life options. The goal is to double the EU’s material re-use rate and accelerate the shift to a circular economy by making trusted information available to consumers, regulators and supply-chain partners alike. commission.europa.euclimatiq.io
- The compliance timeline at a glance
Milestone What Happens Who’s Affected
19 July 2025 First delegated act under ESPR expected—sets detailed DPP data fields for priority sectors. Electronics, textiles, furniture (likely first wave). productip.com
July 2026 EU establishes central Product Passport Registry to validate unique product identifiers at customs. All manufacturers/exporters placing goods on the EU market. productip.com
Feb 2027 Batteries must display a QR code linking to an electronic “battery passport” under Regulation 2023/1542. EV, industrial and portable battery suppliers. plytix.com
2027-2030 Roll-out of DPP requirements by product category via further delegated acts. Full coverage targeted “by 2030”. Nearly all goods sold in the EU. data.europa.eu
Tip: The delegated-act approach means dates vary by sector—monitor updates closely.
- What has to be in a Digital Product Passport?
At minimum, expect to provide:
Unique product identifier (ISO/IEC 15459 compliant)
Bill of materials & substances of concern (location and concentration)
Sustainability metrics – carbon footprint, recycled content, durability scores
Repair & disassembly instructions
End-of-life guidance – recyclability, take-back schemes
Data must be machine-readable and accessible at two levels: a public layer for consumers and a permissioned layer for regulators and B2B partners. climatiq.io
- Label-design implications for UK brands
Choose the right data carrier
QR code – low-cost and printer-agnostic; ideal for packaging and on-product labels.
NFC/RFID – higher unit cost but adds anti-counterfeit security and in-store scan-free checkout.
Reserve space early
The DPP code must be permanent, scannable for the product’s lifetime and visible without tools. Build “clearspace” into artwork and consider protective laminates for abrasion-prone surfaces.
Think updateability
Dynamic QR or cloud-linked NFC lets you refresh data without reprinting, reducing obsolescence risk when delegated acts evolve.
Use contrasting colours & error-correction
30 % contrast + ECC-L (or better) helps maintain scan reliability post-production.
Validate readability in the supply chain
Test under different lighting, curvature and material-surface conditions—especially on small cylindrical packs.
- Five practical steps to get ready
Step What to Do How SL Conyers Can Help
1 Map data owners across sourcing, manufacturing and logistics. Workshops to audit data gaps & formats.
2 Select a passport platform that exports ESPR-ready schemas (JSON-LD or EPCIS). Vendor-agnostic technical consulting.
3 Pick the carrier (static/dynamic QR, NFC, RFID) and durability specs. Prototype labels on our digital & flexo presses; run abrasion/chem-resistance tests.
4 Design & pre-press with reserved code area and version-control layers. Artwork services integrate variable-data printing for serialised IDs.
5 Pilot & iterate in one EU-bound product line ahead of 2026. Short-run pilots with real-time scan analytics dashboard.
- Beyond compliance: the upside of DPP-ready labels
Consumer trust & brand storytelling – richer, verifiable provenance data.
Anti-counterfeit protection – cryptographically secure IDs deter grey-market diversion. circularise.com
Lifecycle service revenue – passports enable repair, upgrade and resale programmes.
Streamlined customs clearance – automated validation against the EU registry cuts border delays. productip.com
- How SL Conyers Can Help
Variable-data & secure-code printing on premium, durable materials—ready for QR, Data-Matrix, NFC or RFID.
Adhesive and facestock engineering for high-heat, deep-freeze or wash-cycle endurance.
Integration support to link your ERP or PLM system to dynamic passport landing pages.
Regulatory watch service so you’re alerted when each delegated act finalises the exact data points for your sector.
Ready to future-proof your labels?
Talk to our technical team about a Digital Product Passport readiness audit and sample label run. The earlier you start, the smoother—and cheaper—your route to EU compliance will be.
Key Take-aways
Act now: lead times for data cleansing, system integration and label redesign make early action critical—especially if you supply batteries or electronics.
Design for change: delegated acts will evolve; dynamic, cloud-linked labels future-proof your investment.
Leverage partners: printers with variable-data and security expertise—like SL Conyers—can shoulder the technical lift.
Need help future-proofing your labels? Contact our specialists to book a DPP readiness audit and sample pack. Let’s turn compliance into competitive advantage.
For more information on Digital Product Passports: Preparing Your Labels for the EU’s New Circular-Economy Rules talk to SL Conyers and Son Ltd