• 11/17/2024
  • Video
  • Insights

Digital Product Pass for Greater Transparency

Jan Sickinger from SKATechnologie GmbH describes the Digital Product Passport (DDP) as added value for the packaging industry and an innovative contribution to the circular economy. At FACHPACK, he gave a presentation on the implementation and effects of the DDP.

Jan Sickinger of SKATechnologie GmbH, is speaking on the PACKBOX-stage.
Jan Sickinger from SKATechnologie GmbH spoke about the Digital Product Passport in the PACKBOX forum at FACHPACK.

The first step will be batteries, then other products will gradually introduce the Digital Product Passport (DPP). This is based on the European Green Deal and the Eco-Design Regulation, which oblige companies to implement sustainable and transparent supply chains. The packaging industry faces the challenge of adapting to these new requirements. Jan Sickinger, packaging expert at SKATechnologie GmbH, provided in-depth information about the DDP at FACHPACK. SKATechnologie GmbH develops automation solutions and IoT technologies for the thin-walled plastics industry.

The DPP can not only help companies to meet regulatory requirements, but also create a competitive advantage, explained Sickinger. It is a tool to demonstrate a company's sustainable practices and thus stand out from the global competition, especially from Asia.

Garment with QR code on the label.
By scanning a QR code, the respective digital product passport can be called up in future and provide further sustainability-relevant information on the product.

Digital Product Passport as a Competitive Advantage

“With the Digital Product Passport, we can ensure that we remain competitive by not only meeting legal requirements, but also communicating our sustainability as added value.” The Digital Product Passport is a great innovation that offers the packaging industry a wide range of opportunities and scalability. “The product passport makes transparent what we are already trying to do today through social media,” added Sickinger. Suppliers, manufacturers, customers and consumers can be shown proof of the use of sustainable materials and safe working conditions. Which plastic is used and where does the polypropylene used in the yogurt pot come from, for example?

Such information could now simply be made transparent. “The DPP enables complete transparency over the entire life cycle of a product.”

The DPP is a digital system that is managed on a central platform of the European Union. Companies are obliged to feed information on raw materials, production processes and recycling capabilities into this passport. This is not new information, but data that many companies already collect as part of standards such as ISO 9001. “This means we already have this information,” says Sickinger. There is no need for companies in the packaging industry to collect any additional data.

QR Code Provides Information

The DPP is a QR code on the product, whereby the end consumer can call up different information than the supplier, for example. Manufacturers, retailers, importers and service providers are affected by the introduction of the DDP. Companies could commission external service providers to create the DDP for them. The battery passport will be the first product passport to be placed on the market in the EU. From February 2027, all new traction batteries, batteries for two-wheelers and industrial batteries with a capacity of over 2 kWh placed on the EU market will require a digital battery passport. This is intended to ensure transparency and sustainability in the battery value chain, reduce environmental impact and support the secondary recycling of batteries.

This was followed by obligations for textiles and building materials. Medical technology could also benefit from such a QR code to protect against counterfeit products.

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