REGULATION
The Ecodesign Directive and Digital Product Passports: Driving transparency and circularity in the EU market
Dr. Dixit Parmar,
Global Head of Sustainable Solutions, The Lubrizol Corporation
Introduction The European Union’s Green Deal sets an ambitious goal: to make sustainable products the norm across all sectors. At the heart of this transformation lies the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which introduces a new paradigm for product transparency and lifecycle management.
A key instrument within ESPR is the Digital Product Passport (DPP), a digital identity designed to provide comprehensive, verified information about products throughout their lifecycle.
This article examines the regulatory context, technical requirements, and strategic implications of DPPs, with a particular focus on challenges and opportunities for industries such as lubricants and chemicals.
Understanding the digital product passport A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital record that consolidates essential product data,
including sustainability metrics, performance characteristics, and compliance information. Its purpose is to enable seamless information exchange among stakeholders, manufacturers, recyclers, customs authorities, market surveillance bodies, and consumers, thereby promoting transparency and traceability across the value chain.
The concept is not entirely new. The European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) already provides energy efficiency data for electrical goods sold in the EU. However, EPREL’s consumer adoption remains limited, and its scope is narrow compared to the comprehensive vision for DPPs. Unlike EPREL, DPPs will cover a wide range of products and integrate data relevant to circularity, environmental impact, and legal compliance.
Regulatory framework and policy drivers DPPs are explicitly referenced in several EU legislative instruments, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation but also the Battery Regulation,
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