The new EU regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) is a key component of the Union’s strategy to promote environmentally sustainable and circular products. The regulation is a framework law covering a wide range of product groups. Among other things, it introduces ecodesign requirements for different product categories and materials with the aim of enhancing reusability, upgradability, and reparability, as well as banning the destruction of unsold goods to reduce resource waste.

A central element of the regulation is the Digital Product Passport (DPP)—a new requirement to provide digital information about products to facilitate traceability and transparency. DPPs function as digital representations of physical products, offering detailed information about a product's entire life cycle.

The legislation stipulates that product passports must include data about the product’s environmental impact, such as the amount of recycled material, reparability, and content of chemical substances. Each product will carry a unique identifier (e.g. QR code or chip), showing where and when the product was made, along with any modifications or repairs during its lifetime. This enables consumers and companies to easily access information about a product’s origin, warranty, and recycling options—making DPPs instrumental in promoting reuse, repair, and recycling while increasing supply chain transparency.

The furniture industry may have relatively favorable conditions for implementing DPPs: the number of input materials is typically limited—for Blå Station, primarily wood, metal, plastic, foam, and textiles. However, supply chains for these components are often complex. Blå Station is considering how transparent they need to be as a manufacturer. To what extent must they disclose the origins and conditions of production? How can furniture producers prepare through, for example, new data collection routines or changes in design, production, and logistics? And considering competitive concerns, how does the DPP regulation protect sensitive information about suppliers or production methods?

Other relevant questions include:
– What platforms could be suitable for data management related to digital product passports?
– How does the DPP requirement align with the broader ESPR framework and other parts of the EU’s environmental legislation for businesses?

Final delimitations will be determined in collaboration with the company and university supervisor.