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The Digital Product Passport is first of all a compliance requirement.
Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Digital Product Passports will become mandatory for a growing number of product groups sold on the European market. As a result, much of the discussion today focuses on delegated acts, implementation timelines, and regulatory requirements.
At the same time, many organisations are starting to ask a different question.
Once a Digital Product Passport has been implemented, can it support objectives beyond compliance?
The answer depends less on the regulation itself and more on the role organisations choose to give the passport once it becomes part of the product experience.
The Digital Product Passport introduces a new product-level digital touchpoint.
For some organisations, the objective is to satisfy regulatory requirements and make mandatory information available. Others are evaluating whether the same implementation can support customer engagement, product services, ownership management, or post-purchase interactions.
The interest comes from a simple question: if a Digital Product Passport must be implemented, can the same investment also support additional business objectives?
The answer will vary by product category, customer journey, and implementation approach. However, it is one of the reasons why Digital Product Passports are increasingly being discussed beyond compliance teams alone.
Many products continue to generate interactions after the initial purchase.
Customers may need care instructions, warranty information, repair guidance, authenticity verification, or information about product composition.
A Digital Product Passport creates a digital touchpoint that remains linked to the product over time.
Depending on the implementation, this touchpoint can also support product registration, ownership records, warranty activation, and ongoing communication between brands and customers.
This changes the role of product information. Instead of being available only at the point of sale, information can remain connected to the product throughout its lifecycle.
Many services associated with product longevity depend on information.
Repair services may require access to care instructions, product specifications, material information, or replacement-part guidance.
Resale programmes may depend on authenticity information, ownership records, product specifications, or product history.
The Digital Product Passport provides a product-level digital layer through which these services can be accessed and managed.
Whether these services are offered depends on the organisation's strategy, but the passport can provide a common entry point that connects products with future interactions and services.
Some organisations are beginning to evaluate how product-level digital touchpoints may support customer interaction after purchase.
One example is Italian fashion brand Dondup, which implemented Digital Product Passports across more than 2 million products. Customers who interacted with the Digital Product Passport experience showed higher revenue per user, higher conversion rates among first-time users, and longer time spent on page compared with customers who did not interact with the experience.
While these results cannot be attributed solely to the Digital Product Passport itself, they provide an example of how product-level digital experiences can become part of broader customer engagement strategies.
The outcome depends on multiple factors, including implementation design, customer adoption, product category, and the services connected to the Digital Product Passport.
The full Dondup case study explores these findings in greater detail - download it here.
Every organisation required to implement a Digital Product Passport will need to meet regulatory requirements.
The more strategic question is what role the passport will play once it becomes part of the product experience.
The regulation defines the requirement. Organisations still decide how the Digital Product Passport will interact with products, customers, and existing systems over time.
Speak with the Renoon team to explore the implementation approaches emerging across the market and discuss which direction may make the most sense for your organisation.
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