TL;DR: The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a regulation requiring certain products sold in the EU to carry a scannable data carrier (typically a QR code) that links to a standardized, machine-readable record of the product's materials, supply chain, repairability, recycling info, and carbon footprint. Batteries first (Feb 2027), textiles mid-2027, electronics by 2029.
What a DPP is — in one paragraph
A DPP is not a new QR code format. It's a policy framework that says: you must provide structured product data, accessible via a persistent URL, linked via a scannable data carrier on the product (or its packaging or a hangtag). The data carrier is almost always a GS1 Digital Link QR code — the same GS1 standard used in pharma, food, and retail, just with a specific URL structure.
Timeline by category
| Date | Category | Regulation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2027 | Batteries | EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 | Mandatory |
| Mid 2027 | Textiles | ESPR Delegated Act (expected) | Expected |
| 2028 | Consumer electronics (stage 1) | ESPR | Planned |
| 2029 | Electronics (full scope) | ESPR | Planned |
| 2030+ | Furniture, construction, chemicals | ESPR | Roadmap |
What data goes in a DPP?
Each product category has its own delegated act specifying the data model, but the core structure is consistent across categories:
- Product identifier: GTIN and serial (or unique model-level identifier)
- Manufacturer identity: Legal name, EU establishment ID, contact
- Composition: Materials (including declarable substances of very high concern — SVHC)
- Environmental impact: Carbon footprint, recycled content %, energy efficiency
- Durability & repair: Expected lifespan, spare-parts availability, repair manuals, compatible parts list
- End-of-life: Disassembly instructions, recycling pathways, hazardous component flags
- Supply chain: Upstream country-of-origin at tier-1 level (and deeper for some high-risk materials)
The data is served in JSON-LD or similar RDF-serializable format. The EU registers the data in a central DPP registry where regulators, customs, and consumers can verify the passport.
The QR carrier: GS1 Digital Link
A DPP QR looks like a regular URL but uses the GS1 Digital Link URI syntax:
https://id.example.com/01/00312345678906/21/SN12345Decoded:
id.example.com— the manufacturer's resolver (can redirect to a DPP registry, a marketing page, or a regulator endpoint depending on who's asking)./01/00312345678906— AI 01 = GTIN/21/SN12345— AI 21 = Serial number
Each batch/serial can resolve to a different DPP record. Regulators, recyclers, consumers, and customs officials all hit the same URL and get a role-appropriate view of the passport data.
What this means for your packaging
- Every unit needs a scannable code. Not just cartons or pallets. For batteries, this can be a laser-etched QR on the casing.
- The code must persist for the product's usable life. Print technologies that fade in UV or wash off are disqualified.
- Plan for resolution infrastructure. The DPP URL has to resolve for 10+ years. Most SMEs will use a managed resolver service (like QRMax's GS1 Digital Link resolver) rather than building their own.
- Data ownership stays with the manufacturer. But you need a tamper-evident audit log for regulators.
Start now, not in Q3 2026
Battery DPP enforcement hits February 2027 — packaging lead times in battery manufacturing are typically 6–9 months, and DPP-ready label suppliers are already booking out. The teams that will ship on time are the ones starting their data model and label design this quarter.
What QRMax provides
- GS1 Digital Link URI builder with validated AI parsing
- Per-category DPP data templates (battery, textile, electronics)
- Persistent resolver with guaranteed 99.99% uptime and multi-region redundancy
- Role-based DPP views (regulator vs. consumer vs. recycler)
- Tamper-evident audit log with EPCIS event export
- Integration with EU central registries as they come online
Next steps
For a deeper dive on your specific category, see manufacturing or talk to our compliance team.