EU's Digital Product Passport: Transforming the European Market by 2030

Nigel Wright Group Consultant Linn Andersen Discusses Implementation of EU's Digital Product Passport.

The digital product passport is set to become mandatory across the EU by 2030, affecting all consumers, retailers, and manufacturers in Europe. This will have implications throughout the entire value chain, and employees with a solid understanding of this concept will confer a competitive advantage.

Consumers will notice its effects during purchases, when a product they own malfunctions, or when they wish to dispose of a product by either giving/selling it away or recycling it. Retailers and manufacturers will feel the impact as they can no longer sell products that lack digital product passports in the European market.

The digital product passport is a key component of the EU's Green Deal, a comprehensive strategy aimed at green growth to ensure a more sustainable and competitive Europe. The overarching goal is to promote sustainable production and facilitate the transition to a circular economy, aiming to make sustainable products the norm and strengthen Europe's resource independence.

In this context, the digital product passport will become a central requirement, mandating all suppliers, manufacturers, and importers to provide detailed information about the products offered in the European market. It is worth noting that only food, animal feed, and medicines will be exempt from these new regulations.

While the specifics of what information should be reported and how far back in the value chains manufacturers must trace are not yet fully clear for all industries, electronic products are at the forefront of implementing digital product passports to be sold in the EU.

At Nigel Wright, we are aware of and attentive to this development, actively integrating knowledge of product passports into our recruitment strategies. This positions us well to ensure the identification of candidates who are not only a good match now but who also understand and adapt to the future requirements and trends in sustainable production and the circular economy. This is part of our commitment to finding the best talents who not only fit in today but also have the potential to thrive and succeed in their roles in the years to come.