This is our practical guide to digital product passports in 2026, covering ESPR compliance, GS1 standards, EPCIS 2.0 and how businesses can prepare.
The 2026 Guide to Digital Product Passports
The requirement for Digital Product Passports is moving quickly from future policy to practical reality.
Driven by new EU sustainability legislation, Digital Product Passports will soon be mandatory for certain product categories, with many more expected to follow. From 2026 onward, businesses will need to provide structured, reliable product data to support traceability, sustainability reporting, and regulatory compliance across the supply chain.
For many organisations, this raises important questions. What exactly is a Digital Product Passport? Which sectors are affected first? What data is required, and how should it be captured, managed, and shared?
In this guide, we explain what Digital Product Passports are, how they work in practice, and how businesses can begin preparing now. Drawing on real-world traceability projects, we also outline how standards-based technologies such as GS1*, EPCIS 2.0**, RFID, and 2D codes come together to create scalable, compliant digital product passport solutions.
What Is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a structured digital record linked to a physical product.
It stores and shares information such as:
- Product identity and origin
- Materials and components
- Environmental and sustainability data
- Repair, reuse, and recycling information
- Compliance and regulatory status
The data is accessed via a machine-readable identifier, such as a 2D barcode or RFID label. That identifier links the physical item to its digital record in the cloud.
Importantly, the Passport is not a single document. It is a live dataset, updated as the product moves through manufacturing, distribution, use, and end of life.
Which Sectors Are First and What Data Is Required?
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) framework applies across many product categories, meaning that products, systems, and data should meet the requirements set out in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Implementation will be phased:
Early focus sectors include:
- Batteries (mandatory from February 2027)
- Electronics and electrical equipment
- Textiles
- Construction products
- Packaging and consumer goods
The exact data requirements will vary by sector. However, most Digital Product Passports will need to support:
- Unique product identification
- Traceability across the supply chain
- Sustainability and environmental metrics
- Repairability and lifecycle information
This means organisations must move beyond static databases. They need event-driven, interoperable data models.
Building the Right Data Model with EPCIS 2.0
To support digital product passports at scale, data must be structured and shareable.
This is where EPCIS 2.0, a GS1 standard, plays a critical role.
EPCIS 2.0 allows organisations to capture and share:
- What happened
- Where it happened
- When it happened
- Why it happened
Each interaction with a product becomes an event. For example:
- Commissioning a product
- Shipping between locations
- Aggregation into cases or pallets
- Status changes or inspections
Using EPCIS 2.0 ensures your digital product passport aligns with GS1 standards, supports interoperability, and meets long-term ESPR compliance expectations.
What is EPCIS 2.0?
EPCIS 2.0 is a GS1 data standard that enables organisations to capture and share trusted traceability data across the supply chain.
It records what happened, where it happened, when it happened, and why it happened at every stage of a product’s lifecycle: from manufacture through to end-of-life.
For Digital Product Passports, EPCIS 2.0 provides a structured, event-based data model that supports interoperability, scalability, and ESPR compliance, without relying on proprietary systems.
Linking Products to Data
A Digital Product Passport is only useful if it can be accessed.
Most implementations will use:
- 2D barcodes (such as Data Matrix or QR codes)
- RFID tags, where automation and non-line-of-sight reading are required
The identifier printed or encoded on the product links directly to its digital record.
The key challenge is not printing the code. It is ensuring:
- Each identifier is unique
- The data behind it is accurate
- The link remains valid throughout the product lifecycle
This is where poor system design can quickly undermine compliance efforts.
Why Digital Product Passports Should Be Implemented in Phases
Digital Product Passports are not a single system change.
In practice, they span multiple functions across an organisation; from product design and manufacturing to labelling, IT, data governance, and compliance. For brands with complex product ranges or multiple suppliers, digital product passport programmes can quickly become large and interconnected.
Across the market, organisations working on early Digital Product Passport initiatives are finding that projects often involve:
- Product data that sits across multiple systems
- Different teams own different parts of the data
- Variations in materials, components, and country-of-origin requirements
- Legacy systems are not designed for item-level traceability
- The need to align internal teams and external partners
Because of this complexity, digital product passports are best implemented in phases.
A phased approach allows organisations to start with a defined scope, test assumptions, and refine data models before scaling. It also reduces operational risk and helps ensure that standards such as GS1 and EPCIS 2.0 are applied consistently from the outset.
By beginning with a focused pilot, businesses can move from regulatory intent to practical delivery, while building a scalable foundation for long-term ESPR compliance.
What Is ESPR?
ESPR stands for the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
It is an EU regulation that sets new requirements around product sustainability, transparency, and traceability for goods placed on the EU market. ESPR expands eco-design rules beyond energy-related products to encompass a broader range of sectors.
A key part of ESPR is the introduction of digital product passports, which provide structured, accessible product data to support compliance, circular economy goals, and improved supply-chain visibility.
Planning for Digital Product Passport Implementation
Digital Product Passports are not a one-step change.
For most organisations, they represent a multi-year programme that spans product data, identification, systems integration, and supply-chain collaboration. Because of this, Digital Product Passport initiatives should be approached with a clear implementation roadmap rather than treated as a single compliance task.
While the detail will vary by sector and organisation, most digital product passport programmes follow a similar high-level pattern:
- Scoping and prioritisation
Understanding which products, markets, and regulations apply first. - Data definition
Identifying what data is required, where it lives, and who owns it. - Standards alignment
Structuring data around recognised standards such as GS1 identifiers and EPCIS 2.0 - Identification and capture
Linking physical products to digital records using 2D codes, RFID, or a combination of both. - Pilot and scale
Testing with a limited product set before extending across products, sites, and partners.
Taking a phased approach helps organisations manage complexity, reduce operational risk, and build scalable, future-proof digital product passport capabilities.
To support organisations moving from regulation to delivery, we have set out a practical Digital Product Passport implementation roadmap that covers pilots, data models, and system integration in more detail.
Read the full Digital Product Passport Implementation Roadmap
Notes:
*GS1 – GS1 is a global, not-for-profit standards organisation that develops and maintains standards used to identify, capture, and share information about products, locations, and assets across supply chains; such as Barcodes (EAN/GTIN).
**EPCIS 2.0 – EPCIS 2.0 stands for Electronic Product Code Information Services (version 2.0). It’s a GS1 data standard used to capture and share traceability events about products as they move through the supply chain. EPCIS 2.0 turns product movements and status changes into trusted, shareable data, which is exactly what digital product passports need to work at scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between RFID and barcodes on the line?
Barcodes need line of sight and single-item scans. RFID reads many items automatically without line of sight, which makes it better for portals, kitting, WIP and closed-loop assets.
Will RFID work around metal and liquids in our plant?
Yes, with the right tags, spacers and antenna design. A site survey and tag-on-product testing are essential to reach the required read accuracy at speed.
How does RFID integrate with our MES or ERP?
Middleware such as corielEDGE transforms raw reader data into clean events and posts them to MES or ERP through standard interfaces so transactions update automatically.
Can RFID support just-in-time and sequencing?
Yes. By instrumenting supermarkets, kitting and line-feed gates, planners get real-time inventory and movement data to trigger replenishment and confirm correct sequence.
What about operator acceptance and change management?
Design out extra steps. Use hands-free reads, clear HMIs and visible confirmation lights. Train teams on exceptions, not basic scans, and monitor performance during ramp-up.
How do we choose the right tag for high temperatures or chemicals?
Select tags rated for your environment, including on-metal constructions, encapsulation and adhesive types. Validate durability through heat, wash and abrasion cycles.
What are the main security and privacy considerations?
Minimise personal data in tags, secure reader networks, harden devices, and follow least-privilege access. Complete a DPIA where staff or visitor identifiers are processed.
How quickly can we scale beyond a single line?
Use a repeatable pattern. Standardise mounts and power, centralise device management with corielCONTROL and keep identifiers and events consistent so each new line is a configuration, not a project.
Useful links
GS1 RFID Standards Overview
GS1 overview of EPC RFID standards and how to implement them
EPCIS 2.0 and EPCIS 1.2
Find out more about EPCIS
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)
Discover more about ESPR as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan