EU Digital Product Passport

The EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a regulatory initiative under the EU Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan aimed at improving product sustainability, traceability, and resource efficiency across various industries, including construction.

The DPP is a digital record containing key data about a product's lifecycle, such as:

• Material composition (to aid recycling and reuse)
• Environmental footprint (carbon emissions, energy use, sustainability credentials)
• Repairability and recyclability (information on maintenance, dismantling, and end-of-life disposal)
• Supply chain transparency (origin of raw materials, compliance with sustainability standards)

This information will be stored electronically and accessible via a unique identifier such as a QR code, barcode RFID tags, or similar technology.

Although the UK has left the EU, the DPP is still relevant to UK construction businesses because UK construction product manufacturers selling into the EU will need to comply with the DPP regulations, and the UK is developing similar sustainability and other policies such as the Net Zero Strategy and the Building Safety Act that will require transparency and compliance within the supply chain.

In addition, DPPs have potential benefits beyond compliance:

• They will help track materials used in buildings, supporting ESG reporting, circular construction, and compliance with sustainability targets.
• They support better recycling, refurbishment, and reuse of materials.
• Developers and contractors may start requiring suppliers to adopt DPP-like disclosures to ensure low-carbon, sustainable sourcing.

Although exact details about which products will be affected are still developing, likely construction materials include:

• Steel, concrete, and timber, due to high carbon footprints.
• Insulation materials, due to fire safety and recyclability concerns.
• Electrical and HVAC equipment, due to energy efficiency and component traceability requirements.
• Windows, doors, and cladding for sustainability and fire safety compliance.

The EU Construction Products Regulation states that DPPs will have to contain the following information:

• Declaration of performance and conformity.
• General product information, instructions for use and safety information.
• Technical documentation.
• A label.
• A unique identifier.
• Documentation required under other EU law applicable to the product.
• The barcode, QR code or data matrix that links to the digital file for that product.

Ref https://www.bimplus.co.uk/construction-products-reform-embraces-digital-product-passports

To prepare for compliance, companies should:

• Identify affected products and materials.
• Digitise product data and documentation.
• Implement supply chain transparency and compliance checks.
• Align with circular economy and net zero goals.
• Keep track of changes and align with industry standards.

A number of existing tools are available to help with compliance such as:

• Digital product passport and traceability platforms.
• Environmental and sustainability data management tools.
• BIM (building information modelling) and material databases.
• Supply chain and compliance management tools.
• QR code and RFID-based data storage solutions.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Attestation of conformity.
• Blockchain.
• British Board of Agrément.
• Brownfield Passport
• Building passport
• CE marking.
• Construction products regulation
• Deadline for CE marked products extended to 1 January 2023.
• Energy related products regulations.
• European Technical Approval.
• Kitemark.
• Manufacturer’s certificate.
• Material passport
• NPPF, Decent Home Standards and brownfield passport consultations
• UK Conformity Assessed UKCA.
• United Kingdom Accreditation Service UKAS.