A digital record that stays connected to the product
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) links a physical product to structured information about its identity, composition and lifecycle. A data carrier, such as a QR code, lets someone find the relevant record. The passport is the information behind that link, together with the rules for maintaining and accessing it.
A shopper may need care instructions. A repairer may need component and disassembly information. A recycler may need material composition, while an authority may need evidence of conformity. The applicable rules determine which information each audience can access.
Why product teams need more than another document
The hard part is often finding reliable information: a material declaration in a supplier email, a test report in a shared folder, and a product specification in a separate system. When a component changes, teams need to know which products and published records are affected.
A passport brings these records into a traceable product context. It can help customers make informed choices and help businesses repair, reuse and recover products. That depends on accurate source data, clear responsibilities and an ongoing review process.
What information belongs in a passport?
The required fields vary by product group. Use the following as a preparation checklist, then map it to the applicable rules:
- Product identity: model, product identifier, manufacturer and the relevant batch or individual item where required.
- Composition: components, materials, substances and supporting supplier information.
- Lifecycle information: care, repair, disassembly and end-of-life instructions relevant to the product.
- Environmental characteristics: supported recycled-content or impact data, including the method and evidence behind a claim.
- Documents and accountability: declarations, reports, responsible operators and the information used for each published version.
A QR code does not establish that these records are complete or correct. GS1 Digital Link is the identification approach used by Utomo; it is not a universal requirement for every passport.
Who needs a DPP, and when?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) creates the EU framework. Product-specific delegated acts set the required information, data carrier, access rights and whether a passport relates to a model, batch or item. There is no single ESPR passport deadline for every product.
A work-plan date for adopting rules is not the same as the date a business must comply. Other legislation can set separate passport requirements, including the EU Batteries Regulation. Start by identifying your product group, market and role in the supply chain.
Read the ESPR guideHow Utomo turns scattered evidence into a passport
- Connect the product. Use Utomo Products or a supported external source to establish the identity and attributes behind the passport.
- Model what it contains. Connect components, materials and packaging to the product they describe, so evidence has a clear context.
- Collect missing evidence. Request information and documents from responsible operators, and retain submissions and revisions.
- Review the record. Resolve missing information and check supporting documents before preparing a publication.
- Publish a version. Keep the published snapshot connected to the product and share its durable link using Utomo’s GS1 Digital Link approach.
- Maintain it. When a supplier or material changes, review the affected information and prepare the next version using the updated evidence.
Utomo supports this information workflow. Your team still determines which legal requirements apply and whether the evidence satisfies them. Publishing a passport does not itself establish conformity or acceptance by an external registry.
Explore Digital Product Passports in UtomoExample: a wall mount with a new packaging supplier
Imagine a wall mount sold in several markets. Its record connects the metal bracket, fixings, cardboard box and protective insert with their specifications and supplier documents. The team can see which evidence belongs to the product and which belongs to its packaging.
When the packaging supplier changes the insert, the team requests the new composition and supporting evidence, reviews the affected records and prepares an updated publication. The product identity stays connected to the evidence history. This is an example workflow, not a completed regulatory assessment.
Start with one product family
Choose a product family, identify the applicable rules and assign an owner for every missing field. Gather supplier documents, review one complete record and agree who approves changes. Then reuse that process across the catalogue.
Packaging and national consumer-information requirements may need the same source data, but their scope and outputs differ. Use the dedicated guides to plan PPWR and French AGEC work alongside your passport programme.
Official sources
Regulatory information checked on 23 October 2026. Confirm the obligations, exemptions and implementation dates for your products and markets.