Dr. Adriana Neligan

New strategies for the circular economy – sustainability and the Digital Product Passport (DPP) in the EU Green Deal

This episode discusses the fact that many companies do not yet meet the technical and organizational requirements to implement a system like the DPP. The guests discuss the difficulties of bringing together relevant information from thousands of databases and how the fragmentation of data storage makes it difficult to use data in a uniform way. In the podcast, the use of ECLASS is presented as a solution approach, as an established digital standard for product descriptions that provides clear and classified information about product characteristics. This standard can serve as the basis for implementing the DPP, as it offers clear structures and uniform data formats. The guests emphasize that ECLASS offers a fee-exempt license to lower the barriers to entry, making it easier for companies to access this standard without incurring high costs immediately. The exchange and cooperation between different stakeholders, such as industry associations and technology providers, are emphasized as important elements to support the dissemination and acceptance of standards such as ECLASS. Furthermore, the need for investments in digital education and technological infrastructure is emphasized to enhance companies’ data readiness. The podcast guests state that companies need to invest in the skills of their employees in order to meet the technical requirements of the DPP. These and other questions are answered in episode 128: What is a Digital Product Passport and what role does it play in the European Green Deal? How ready are companies to implement such a system and what support do they need? What are the technical and content requirements of a DPP and how can it contribute to the circular economy? What is the political and economic significance of the DPP and how is it applied in different use cases?