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Digital Product Passports
Our research shows that 8 in 10 consumers consider sustainability an important factor when choosing or buying electronic consumer products. But good intentions need to be matched with better information. Consumers need to know whether a product is built to last, easy to repair, safe to use and genuinely sustainable.
Digital Product Passports have the potential to make this information easier to access and understand. By providing reliable information about a product throughout its life, Digital Product Passports can help people make more informed choices, keep products in use for longer, and participate more fully in a circular economy.
As new product transparency requirements come into effect worldwide, such as the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Digital Product Passports can play a key role in building consumer trust and market access.
Consumers International is generating the evidence needed to ensure these tools deliver real value for consumers. Through research, testing and collaboration across sectors, we are helping shape Digital Product Passports around the needs and experiences of the people who buy, use, repair and dispose of products - empowering people to make choices that are better for their budgets, wellbeing and the planet.
What are Digital Product Passports?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record that provides information about a product throughout its lifecycle.
Accessible through tools such as QR codes or digital identifiers, a DPP can give consumers information about:
- what a product is made of, including its materials or ingredients
- how it performs environmentally
- its carbon footprint
- how durable a product is and how long it is expected to last
- how to repair and maintain it
- its safety and compliance
- guidance on how to reuse, resell and/or recycle it
Why Digital Product Passports matter
Digital Product Passports can support better outcomes for consumers, businesses and the environment.
1. Stronger consumer rights
Transparent product data supports emerging consumer rights related to durability, reparability and product performance, while helping regulators monitor markets more effectively.
2. Better informed choices
With DPPs, consumers can access clear, verified information on product performance, durability, energy efficiency, and environmental impact. This makes it easier for to compare products, look beyond vague or misleading claims and make decisions with confidence.
3. Longer-lasting products
Access to repair instructions, spare parts, and service options can help consumers to maintain products for longer, reducing unnecessary replacement costs and waste.
4. Greater participation in the circular economy
DPPs can support repair, reuse, resale, refurbishment, rental, and trade‑in models by providing useful information about a product's condition, history and components.
5. Trust in sustainability and safety claims
By linking environmental claims to transparent and verifiable data, DPPs can help reduce greenwashing and strengthen confidence in sustainability labels and certifications.
Our work: Putting consumers at the centre of Digital Product Passports
In 2025, Consumers International conducted a large-scale consumer study on Digital Product Passports, surveying 1,000 people in Germany, with a focus on smartphones. Through five real-life use cases, we explored how consumers interact with DPPs, what information they need and what they expect from them.
We found that DPPs work best when they:
- are easy to understand
- support practical, everyday decisions
- remain useful throughout a product’s life
- are supported by clear and trustworthy governance
Our research also showed the importance of taking a life-cycle approach. Consumers need different information at different stages — from choosing and using a product to maintaining, repairing, reselling and disposing of it. Well-designed product information can help consumers make more sustainable choices while supporting wider circular economy goals.
Digital Product Passport Advisory Panel
Our Digital Product Passport Advisory Panel brings together experts from policy, standardisation, business and civil society. The panel helps ensure our work reflects real-world needs and informs our vision for the future of DPPs.
Panel members include representatives from:
- BMJV (German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection)
- HOP France (Stop Planned Obsolescence)
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Wuppertal Institute
- ANEC (European consumer voice in standardisation)
- Vzbv (Federation of German Consumer Organisations)
- Amazon
- Philips
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Fraunhofer IZM
Co‑creating consumer evidence through DPP road‑testing
To understand how Digital Product Passports work in practice, Consumers International partners with businesses to road-test consumer-facing DPPs in real market settings.
These road tests examine how consumers access, understand, trust and use product information in real purchasing and usage situations. The findings help identify what works for consumers and where DPPs need to improve.
Interested in collaborating with us on DPP testing and research? Contact us at impact@consint.org.
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