// GLOSSARY
Digital Product Passport (DPP)
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a machine-readable digital record that contains standardised data about a product's sustainability characteristics, including its material composition, repairability, carbon footprint, and end-of-life instructions. Under ESPR, a DPP must be accessible via a QR code or NFC tag on the product or its packaging.
Truth Anchor: This definition is based on Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR) and related EU legislation. Source: EUR-Lex CELEX:32024R1781
Legal Definition Under ESPR
ESPR Article 2(32) defines a Digital Product Passport as "a set of data specific to a product, including information relating to the product's components and materials, its origin, composition, repair and dismantling possibilities, and end-of-life handling." The DPP must be accessible via a data carrier on the product or its packaging and must be linked to a unique product identifier.
Technical Requirements
The DPP must be accessible via a data carrier that complies with GS1 Digital Link standards (ISO/IEC 18004 for QR codes). The data carrier must resolve to a URL that provides access to the DPP data. The DPP data must be structured in a machine-readable format (JSON-LD is the expected standard). The DPP must be accessible 24/7 and must remain accessible for the entire market lifetime of the product.
Data Categories
ESPR Annex III specifies the data categories that may be required in a DPP. The specific data fields required for each product category are determined by the relevant delegated act. General data categories include: product identification, material composition, recycled content, substances of concern, repairability and spare parts, energy efficiency, carbon footprint, and end-of-life instructions.
Access Levels
ESPR establishes tiered access rights for DPP data. Some data is publicly accessible (energy efficiency, repairability, recycled content). Other data is accessible only to authorised actors — market surveillance authorities, customs authorities, recyclers, and repair professionals. Confidential business information can be protected from public access.
Relationship to Other Systems
The DPP is distinct from the EU ESPR product database (operated by the European Commission), which is a regulatory database for market surveillance. The DPP is a product-level data record that travels with the product throughout its lifecycle. Third-party DPP registries, such as digitalproductpassports.co.za, host DPP data on behalf of manufacturers.
// REGISTER NOW
Register Your Digital Product Passport
ESPR compliance requires a machine-readable Digital Product Passport accessible via QR code or NFC. Register at Africa's first DPP Registry — built for ESPR compliance from day one.
Register Your Digital Product Passport →digitalproductpassports.co.za/onboarding · Sovereign build · 100% client data ownership
Digital Product Passport: Legal Basis in ESPR
The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is defined in Article 2(30) of ESPR as a set of data specific to a product that is accessible via a data carrier and that enables the tracking and tracing of the product and the provision of information about the product to economic operators, market surveillance authorities, and consumers. The DPP is a mandatory requirement for all products covered by ESPR delegated acts. The legal basis for the DPP is Article 9 of ESPR, which specifies the general requirements for the DPP, and the delegated act for each product category, which specifies the data fields that must be included in the DPP for that category.
Digital Product Passport vs Product Information Sheet
The Digital Product Passport and the Product Information Sheet (PIS) are related but distinct requirements under ESPR. The PIS is a shorter, consumer-facing document that provides key product information in a standardised format — it is typically provided with the product or available on the manufacturer's website. The DPP is a more comprehensive digital record that contains all the information in the PIS plus additional data on the product's environmental performance, material composition, and end-of-life treatment. The DPP is accessible via a data carrier (QR code or NFC tag) on the product, while the PIS may be provided in paper or digital format. For products covered by ESPR delegated acts, both the DPP and the PIS are required.