Making sustainable products the norm in the EU
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force on 18 July 2024, is the cornerstone of the Commission’s approach to more environmentally sustainable and circular products.
Products and the way we use them can significantly impact the environment. Consumption in the EU can, therefore, be a major cause of climate change and pollution.
The ESPR is part of a package of measures that are central to achieving the aims of the 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan and fostering the transition to a circular, sustainable, and competitive economy. It will contribute to helping the EU reach its environmental and climate goals, double its circularity rate of material use and achieve its energy efficiency targets by 2030.
The ESPR aims to significantly improve the sustainability of products placed on the EU market by improving their circularity, energy performance, recyclability and durability.
It will also play a central role in developing a strong, well-functioning single market for sustainable products in the EU.
By doing so, a significant step will be taken towards better protecting our planet, fostering more sustainable business models and strengthening the overall competitiveness and resilience of the EU economy.
The ESPR enables the setting of performance and information rules – known as ‘ecodesign requirements’ – for almost all categories of physical goods, including:-
Improving product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability
Enhancing the possibility of product maintenance and refurbishment
Making products more energy and resource-efficient
Addressing the presence of substances that inhibit circularity
Increasing recycled content
Making products easier to remanufacture and recycle
Setting rules on carbon and environmental footprints
Limiting the generation of waste
Improving the availability of information on product sustainability
The ESPR will introduce a Digital Product Passport (DPP), a digital identity card for products, components, and materials, which will store relevant information to support products’ sustainability, promote their circularity and strengthen legal compliance.
This information will be accessible electronically, making it easier for consumers, manufacturers, and authorities to make more informed decisions related to sustainability, circularity and regulatory compliance. It will also allow custom authorities to perform automatic checks on the existence and authenticity of the DPPs of imported products.
Information to be included in the DPP will be identified by the Commission, in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and will depend on the specific product in question. This information will include:
Product’s technical performance
Materials and their origins
Repair activities
Recycling capabilities
Lifecycle environmental impacts
CONNECTEDFUTURE delivers the Digital Product Passports that are EU compliant for your entreprise. Get in touch and start the process with us today.
