Digital Product Passport (DPP)

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a cornerstone of the European Union's Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), enabling transparency and traceability across product lifecycles. This guide covers DPP concepts, data structures, and implementation patterns.

Overview

What is a DPP?

A Digital Product Passport is a standardized, machine-readable document that contains environmental, circularity, and compliance information about a manufactured product. The ESPR regulation mandates DPPs for specific product categories to promote sustainability and informed consumption.

Key Facts:

• Regulation: EU Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), part of the Circular Economy Action Plan
• Effective Date: 19 July 2026 (General rules)
• Scope: Battery, textile, electronics, construction, steel, furniture, chemicals, and general products
• Purpose: Enable consumers, businesses, and regulators to assess environmental impact and material composition
• Format: Standardized data model with category-specific extensions

Timeline

• July 2026: DPP Registry launches; general ESPR rules take effect
• February 2027: Battery Passport requirements become mandatory
• Q2 2027: Textile Passport requirements become mandatory
• Future: Additional categories (construction products, steel, furniture) phased in

Core Data Structures

DPPMetadata Interface

The foundational data class representing a Digital Product Passport:

interface DPPMetadata {
  productId: string;                    // Unique product identifier (GTIN/UPCC)
  productName: string;                  // Human-readable product name
  manufacturer: string;                 // Economic operator/manufacturer name
  countryOfOrigin: string;              // ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
  category: DPPCategory;                // Product category classification
  carbonFootprint: number;              // kg CO₂e per functional unit
  recycledContent: number;              // Percentage (0-100)
  durabilityYears: number;              // Expected product lifespan
  repairabilityScore: number;           // 0-10 scale, 10 = most repairable
  substancesOfConcern: SubstanceInfo[]; // SVHC and regulated substances
  conformityDeclarations: Declaration[];// EU compliance declarations
  sectorData: object;                   // Category-specific extensions
}

DPPCategory Enumeration

enum DPPCategory {
  BATTERY = "battery",
  TEXTILE = "textile",
  ELECTRONICS = "electronics",
  CONSTRUCTION = "construction",
  STEEL = "steel",
  FURNITURE = "furniture",
  CHEMICAL = "chemical",
  GENERAL = "general"
}

BatteryPassportData

Battery-specific passport information required by Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542:

interface BatteryPassportData {
  // Chemistry and composition
  chemistry: "lithium-ion" | "lead-acid" | "nickel-metal-hydride" | "other";
  capacityKwh: number;                  // Nominal energy content

  // State and performance
  stateOfHealth: number;                // 0-100%, current condition
  cycleCount: number;                   // Number of full charge cycles
  expectedLifetimeCycles: number;       // Design specification

  // Material content
  cobaltContent: number;                // % by mass
  lithiumContent: number;               // % by mass
  nickelContent?: number;               // % by mass (if present)
  leadContent?: number;                 // % by mass (if present)

  // Recycled content
  recycledCobaltPercent: number;        // % of cobalt from recycled sources
  recycledLithiumPercent: number;       // % of lithium from recycled sources
  recycledNickelPercent?: number;       // % of nickel from recycled sources
  recycledLeadPercent?: number;         // % of lead from recycled sources

  // Classification and lifecycle
  carbonClass: "A" | "B" | "C" | "D" | "E" | "F" | "G"; // EU Carbon Footprint Regulation
  dueDiligenceUrl?: string;             // Link to conflict minerals declaration
}

TextilePassportData

Textile-specific passport information:

interface TextilePassportData {
  // Composition
  fiberComposition: FiberInfo[];        // List of fibers and percentages

  // Manufacturing
  processes: ProcessInfo[];             // Finishing and treatment processes
  waterUsageLiters: number;             // Per kg of product

  // Environmental impact
  microfiberRelease: number;            // mg per wash cycle (microplastics)

  // User guidance
  careInstructions: string;             // Washing/care recommendations
}

interface FiberInfo {
  name: string;                         // e.g., "cotton", "polyester", "silk"
  percentage: number;                   // 0-100
  type: "natural" | "synthetic" | "regenerated" | "animal";
}

interface ProcessInfo {
  name: string;                         // e.g., "bleaching", "dyeing", "waterproofing"
  stage: "preparation" | "coloration" | "finishing";
}

Core Functions

buildDPPConfig / build_dpp_config

Converts DPPMetadata into an API-ready format with validation:

TypeScript

import { DPPMetadata, DPPCategory, buildDPPConfig } from '@heimdall/dpp';

const metadata: DPPMetadata = {
  productId: "08714043123452",
  productName: "Eco Battery Pack 5000mAh",
  manufacturer: "Green Energy Corp",
  countryOfOrigin: "DE",
  category: DPPCategory.BATTERY,
  carbonFootprint: 2.5,
  recycledContent: 35,
  durabilityYears: 5,
  repairabilityScore: 7,
  substancesOfConcern: [
    {
      substanceId: "7440-38-2", // Cobalt CAS number
      name: "Cobalt",
      concentration: 8.5,
      status: "SVHC"
    }
  ],
  conformityDeclarations: [
    {
      regulation: "Directive 2014/30/EU",
      conformityMarked: true,
      testingDate: "2025-11-15"
    }
  ],
  sectorData: {
    chemistry: "lithium-ion",
    capacityKwh: 0.018,
    stateOfHealth: 100,
    cycleCount: 0,
    cobaltContent: 8.5,
    lithiumContent: 4.2,
    recycledCobaltPercent: 20,
    recycledLithiumPercent: 15,
    carbonClass: "B"
  }
};

const dppConfig = buildDPPConfig(metadata);
console.log(dppConfig);
// Output includes: standardized fields, API endpoints, validation schema

Python

from heimdall.dpp import (
    DPPMetadata, DPPCategory, SubstanceInfo, Declaration,
    build_dpp_config
)

metadata = DPPMetadata(
    product_id="08714043123452",
    product_name="Eco Battery Pack 5000mAh",
    manufacturer="Green Energy Corp",
    country_of_origin="DE",
    category=DPPCategory.BATTERY,
    carbon_footprint=2.5,
    recycled_content=35,
    durability_years=5,
    repairability_score=7,
    substances_of_concern=[
        SubstanceInfo(
            substance_id="7440-38-2",
            name="Cobalt",
            concentration=8.5,
            status="SVHC"
        )
    ],
    conformity_declarations=[
        Declaration(
            regulation="Directive 2014/30/EU",
            conformity_marked=True,
            testing_date="2025-11-15"
        )
    ],
    sector_data={
        "chemistry": "lithium-ion",
        "capacity_kwh": 0.018,
        "state_of_health": 100,
        "cycle_count": 0,
        "cobalt_content": 8.5,
        "lithium_content": 4.2,
        "recycled_cobalt_percent": 20,
        "recycled_lithium_percent": 15,
        "carbon_class": "B"
    }
)

dpp_config = build_dpp_config(metadata)
print(dpp_config)

validateDPPMetadata / validate_dpp_metadata

Validates required fields and data constraints per category:

TypeScript

import { validateDPPMetadata, ValidationError } from '@heimdall/dpp';

try {
  const errors = validateDPPMetadata(metadata, DPPCategory.BATTERY);

  if (errors.length === 0) {
    console.log("✓ DPP metadata is valid");
  } else {
    errors.forEach(error => {
      console.error(`Field "${error.field}": ${error.message}`);
      // e.g., Field "capacityKwh": Must be greater than 0
    });
  }
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof ValidationError) {
    console.error("Validation failed:", error.message);
  }
}

Python

from heimdall.dpp import validate_dpp_metadata, ValidationError

try:
    errors = validate_dpp_metadata(metadata, DPPCategory.BATTERY)

    if not errors:
        print("✓ DPP metadata is valid")
    else:
        for error in errors:
            print(f'Field "{error.field}": {error.message}')
except ValidationError as e:
    print(f"Validation failed: {e}")

Category Requirements

Each DPP category enforces specific required fields:

Category	Required Core Fields	Additional Sector Data
Battery	capacityKwh, chemistry, cobaltContent, lithiumContent, carbonClass	stateOfHealth, cycleCount, expectedLifetimeCycles, recycledContent %
Textile	fiberComposition, waterUsageLiters, microfiberRelease	processes, careInstructions
Electronics	hazardousSubstances, energy consumption, EPREL registration	material list, repairability
Construction	material composition, fire rating, durability classification	embodied carbon, recyclability
Steel	steel grade, carbon content, recycled percentage	melting process, mechanical properties
Furniture	material list, hazardous substances, durability testing	disassembly instructions
Chemical	SDS reference, hazard classification, safety data	intended use, concentration
General	productName, manufacturer, carbonFootprint	recycledContent, durabilityYears

Best Practices

1. Data Completeness

Always populate required fields for your product category. Use validateDPPMetadata before submission to catch errors early.

2. Substances of Concern

Maintain an up-to-date list of substances regulated under REACH and other legislation. Include CAS numbers for accuracy.

3. Conformity Documentation

Link to actual test reports and certificates. The EU may require evidence during inspections.

4. Sector-Specific Data

Leverage category-specific fields to provide transparency. For batteries, state-of-health and recycled content percentages are highly valued by consumers.

5. Carbon Footprint

Use Product Category Rules (PCRs) from environmental product declarations (EPDs) for consistency.

Related Documentation

• DPP Access Control — Learn about visibility tiers
• EPCIS 2.0 Integration — Map DPP provenance to supply chain events
• EU ESPR Regulation — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2426/oj
• Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj