Digital Product Passport Regulations: CIRPASS

CIRPASS is a digital product passport ecosystem that will prepare the groundwork for the eventual deployment of digital product passports in the EU. CIRPASS wants to establish innovative systems that make it easier to switch to circularity when it comes to product industries and consumer information.

The initial focus of the Digital Product Passport CIRPASS project is on three main product industries: the electronics, battery, and textile industries. CIRPASS lays the groundwork for a generally acceptable digital product passport based on standard, rules, principles, and taxonomy.

The introduction of digital product passports requires a lot of technical support and technological feasibility. To achieve a circular economy, there has to be conformity to the needs of the supply chain stakeholders, especially producers and consumers. In addition, there also must be economic viability and cooperation from administrative and political figures. This brings us to what exactly is CIRPASS?

What Is CIRPASS?

CIRPASS is a collaboration between several partners to prepare the ground for executing and implementing a standard-based Digital Product Passport (DPP). It is under the Digital Europe Programme and is funded by the European Commission to align with the proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulations requirements.

The first industries CIRPASS will focus on are electronics, textiles, and the battery sectors. CIRPASS has an 18-month project duration from 1st October, 2022 to 31st March, 2024. The project consortium consists of many partners that represent various industries and organisations across and beyond Europe.

During the 18-months period, CIRPASS aimed to establish a clear concept for the digital product passport. The reason for this is so there can be a cross-sectional product data model that can be easily adopted and showcases the benefits of a circular economy. The project was also to create a feasible roadmap for the deployment of digital product passports.

The European Commission has proposed Digital Products Passports in various strategies. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament suggested standardised and cross-sectoral digital product passports as a crucial means for introducing the EU to a circular economy.

The parliament also sees digital product passports as a way of promoting sustainable consumer decisions, and good energy and resource management. From 2023, CIRPASS aims to lay the groundwork for the deployment of the European Union’s digital product passport plans. The CIRPASS consortium relies on the following strategy.

CIRPASS Strategy

CIRPASS relies on the following strategies:

• Neutrality: Ensuring an agnostic stance to avoid any potential bias.
• Balance: The inclusion of standardisation bodies and non-profit seeking partners
• Inclusivity: Proactively welcoming broad partnerships with European and international initiatives related to DPPs
• Expertise: Support from standardisation organisations, sustainability agencies, and research communities to pool expertise
• Experience: All members have experience in stakeholder involvement

Objectives of CIRPASS

The objectives of the DPP CIRPASS consortium include:

Presenting an unambiguous cross-sectoral meaning and description of the digital product passport

Defining a cross-sectoral product data model for digital product passports that displays its usefulness to attain a circular economy

Making the requirements for product identification very clear

Proposing an open data exchange protocol for DPP that adapts to the needs of stakeholders of a circular economy using updated digital technologies

Establishing a consensus among stakeholders on key data for circularity and an open vocabulary standard for DPPs in Europe and globally

Developing roadmaps and use cases to develop and deploy value for circularity using cross-sectoral DPPs

Consortium Partners

The CIRPASS consortium consists of 31 partners and 15 countries. The partners of CIRPASS include: CEA, SLR, DKE, GTS, Fraunhofer, Wuppertal Institut, Chalmers Industriteknik, + IMPAKT, E Circular Aps, F6S, ERCIM, Circular Fashion, InnoEnergy, GS1 in Europe, Politecnico Milano, Digital Europe, TUDelft, Energy Web, BAM, TalTech, Veltha, RBA, Textile Exchange, SyncForce, Innovalia, iPoint, GEC, RISE, Worldline Mint, Global Battery Alliance, and atma.io.

Motivation Behind The Project

The motivation behind the Digital Product Passport CIRPASS project is the preparation for the gradual deployment and adoption of DPPs based on a common standard. Digital product passports are a collection of product related data that are conveyed through data carriers or electronic means.

The scope of the information provided through digital product passports relates to circularity, value retention, recycling, and sustainability.

Final Words

CIRPASS is a consortium made up of 31 partners with the intention to make everything ready for the execution and piloting of standardised Digital Product Passports. The goals of CIRPASS include enhancing sustainability, supporting consumer decisions, smooth transitioning to a circular economy, extending product lifespan, and optimising usage.

CIRPASS aims to provide new business opportunities to economic stakeholders through value retention and circularity. The consortium’s project duration ran from 1st October, 2022 to 31st March, 2024. 

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