Digital Product Passports: Data driving the circular economy
The EU’s new Ecodesign Regulation sends a clear signal: Sustainability must not only be a vision but a data-driven practice. At its core are Digital Product Passports (DPPs). A solution that makes product information available throughout the entire lifecycle, from design and production to repair, reuse, and recycling, writes Standards Norway’s Project Manager Anne Marthe Følsvik Garseth.
More than a regulation
EU’s new Ecodesign Regulation defines the framework, while the specific requirements will be introduced through delegated acts for selected product groups. These acts will determine what data must be included, how it should be structured, and how it will be made digitally accessible through QR codes or other unique identifiers.
This means the DPP is not an add-on, but an integrated part of how product requirements are defined, monitored, and enforced. For manufacturers and suppliers, data flow and system integration will become part of the product strategy itself.
It is equally important to ensure that DPPs are understandable and easy to use. They must not become technical documents only experts can interpret. To create real value and contribute to goals for resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact, the information must be accessible and relevant to manufacturers, importers, purchasers, and consumers alike.
Standardization is key
In technology and IT environments, the challenge is not collecting data, but sharing it in a way that works across value chains and systems. This is where standardization becomes crucial. Without shared data formats, metadata, and API structures, DPPs risk becoming isolated silos — and losing their value.
Standards make it possible to build solutions that are interoperable, scalable, and secure. They reduce complexity, provide predictability, and make digital collaboration in the circular economy practically achievable.
Norwegian participation
Norwegian experts are already actively involved in developing the technical frameworks through CEN/CLC/JTC 24, the European committee responsible for standards on Digital Product Passports. This gives Norwegian stakeholders both insight and influence over future requirements, as well as an advantage in adapting systems, data flows, and IT architecture before the regulation takes effect.
The first drafts of delegated acts are expected in 2025–2026. With at least one year of transition, the first DPP requirements may enter into force as early as 2027. Priority areas include textiles, electronics, furniture, and construction products: sectors with both significant environmental impact and high data complexity.
Collaboration and preparation
Digital Product Passports will transform how products are designed, used, and managed across Europe. The Ecodesign Regulation is ambitious, but it provides a clear roadmap: information must be shared, products must last longer, and resources must be used more efficiently. For this to succeed, regulation, standards, and practice must align.
Through active participation in European standardization, Norway has already taken important steps. The next task is to continue the work nationally through dialogue between authorities, industry, and professional communities. This will ensure that Norwegian stakeholders are well prepared when the new requirements take effect.
Digital Product Passports are not only about technology and data. They are about creating better products, more efficient value chains, and a society that uses its resources more thoughtfully.
This editorial comment was first published in Computerworld on 23 September 2025.