A new project aimed at the development of a Digital Product Passport (DPP) that would allow products to be tracked throughout their lifetimes, has been launched by Circularise and LyondellBasell, in collaboration with value chain partners Neste, QCP, Uponor and Samsonite.
The DPP prototype developed within the scope of the project makes use of Circularise’s traceability software to create a unique digital record or “digital twin” of a product. The digital twin is a virtual representation or model that details the product’s environmental impact and provides relevant historical data by recording the changes as these occur throughout the physical lifecycle of the product.
Such a digital twin or passport will make it easier to gather and share product data, in turn enabling circular economy processes.“This Digital Product Passport technology has the capability of delivering precise information about a product and providing insights into the product’s components and environmental impact as it moves through the value chain,” said Paula Sanabria Luque, Associate Director - Circular Polymer Solutions Europe at LyondellBasell.
“In the future, the DPP will also give valuable information about greenhouse gasses. This can support everyone in the value chain in meeting their scope 3 emission goals”.
A digital product passport contains information specific to the product it is associated with.
“The information in the DPP can be accessible through a unique digital ID which will always stay with the product. When entering a new stage in the production or recycling process the DPP is updated, providing traceability for circular business models,” said Jordi de Vos, Circularise’s co-founder.
This is in line with the European Commission’s plans to require digital product passports in the near future, which would contain information about the composition of goods on the European market to help boost their chances of being reused and recycled and help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions, he added.
These plans were formulated in the 2022 proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which provides a framework for producing more sustainable products in the EU. It states that digital product passports will play a role in ensuring this.
A key feature of the circular economy is its reliance on collaboration. The pilot was therefore originally launched by LyondellBasell and Circularise, but participated in by a number of upstream and downstream value chain players. The collaboration was ultimately an effort between renewable and recycled feedstock supplier Neste, mechanical recycler QCP, building and infrastructure systems manufacturer Uponor, and luggage manufacturer Samsonite. It offered the parties an opportunity to better understand their supply chains and gain insight into the life cycle impact of products.
“In the future, the DPP will also give valuable information about greenhouse gasses. This can support everyone in the value chain in meeting their scope 3 emission goals,” said Luque.
Circularise is exhibiting at K 2022. For more information about the Digital Product Passport pilot or to take part in the project, visit the company’s stand (OA Hall 4, stand 04.34) or that of LyondellBasell (hall 8A, stand D12).