Digital Product Passport (DPP): Guide to Regulations and Requirements for 2026

Is the Digital Product Passport (DPP) a distant utopia or an imminent reality?
The short answer is: 2026 marks the beginning of its technical rollout.

What for years was an initiative linked to the European Green Deal is now starting to translate into concrete requirements for companies. The DPP is not just another regulation: it is the data infrastructure the European Union aims to build to transform the economy towards more circular and transparent models.

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What is the Digital Product Passport?

The DPP is not a PDF hosted on a website. It is a dynamic digital inventory linked to a physical product (via QR code, RFID, or NFC). Its purpose is to centralize critical data from the product’s entire lifecycle.

The logic behind this measure is twofold. On one hand, to improve transparency and traceability of products sold on the European market. On the other, to enable a more circular economic model in which goods can be repaired, reused or recycled more easily.

Although the regulatory framework has been in force since 2024, the rollout timeline is progressive. Between 2026 and 2030, the European Commission will approve specific requirements for different product categories. The first sectors affected will be those with the highest environmental impact or consumption volume: textiles, electronics, batteries, furniture or construction materials.

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‍Estimated timeline 2026–2030: when will your sector be affected?

Although the framework regulation has already been approved, the implementation of the DPP will be gradual and defined through sector-specific delegated acts. The first expected product categories include:

• Textiles, footwear and batteries (2026–2027): Priority sectors due to their environmental impact and high consumption volumes.
• Consumer electronics (2026–2027): Devices will need to include data on reparability, materials, and waste management.
• Furniture, iron and steel (2027–2028): Traceability of materials and components will become key for durable products.
• Construction materials and aluminium (2028 onwards): Detailed information on material composition and recyclability will be required.

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A change that goes beyond Europe

Although the regulation originates in Brussels, its impact will be global. Any company that wants to sell products on the European market—including those operating outside the EU—will need to comply with these requirements.

This means suppliers in Asia, manufacturers in the Americas and global brands will need to adapt their systems to generate and share information compatible with the new European standard.

In other words, the digital passport could become one of those regulatory instruments that ends up exporting standards beyond EU borders—much like what happened with data protection rules or food safety regulations.

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From compliance to competitive advantage

In the short term, many companies see it as yet another regulatory challenge. But some experts argue that the DPP may also create strategic opportunities.

A well-structured product information system can help improve eco-design, optimize material use, or enable business models based on repair, refurbishment or resale.

At the same time, a new technological ecosystem is emerging to help companies structure and manage this information. Specialized platforms such as Manglai offer solutions that allow companies to centralize environmental product data and prepare it for the future requirements of the digital passport.

The European Union has spent years trying to reshape consumption rules: first with energy labels, then with ecodesign standards, and now with the digital passport. The difference is that this time the goal is not just to improve product efficiency, but to create a data infrastructure that accompanies every object throughout its entire life cycle.

If the regulatory timeline holds, in just a few years scanning a product to know its origin, environmental footprint or how to repair it could become as common as reading a price label. And for thousands of companies, the work to make that possible starts now.

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Frequently asked questions about the Digital Product Passport

Is the Digital Product Passport mandatory in 2026?

Not in a generalized way. Requirements will be introduced sector by sector through delegated acts between 2026 and 2030.

Does it affect companies outside the EU?

Yes. Any company wishing to sell products on the European market must comply with the applicable requirements.

Does the DPP replace the CSRD?

No. They are different regulatory frameworks, although complementary in terms of data.

What happens if a company does not comply?

It could face restrictions on selling products in the European market once the requirement becomes applicable to its sector.