Join Industri Professionals in the Digital Product Passport Group

In the Digital Product Passport Group, we face numerous challenges that necessitate a shift towards a circular economy. Here's why this transition is crucial:

1. Environmental Protection: Transitioning to a circular economy helps preserve the environment by slowing down the depletion of natural resources, minimizing habitat disruption, and curbing biodiversity loss. The circular economy's practice of reusing and recycling products is key in achieving this.
2. Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The European Environment Agency notes that industrial processes and product use contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. By adopting circular economy principles, these emissions can be substantially reduced.
3. Efficient and Sustainable Product Design: Over 80% of a product's environmental impact is determined during its design phase. Creating efficient and sustainable products from the start can greatly reduce energy and resource consumption.
4. Waste Reduction: A shift towards more reliable, reusable, upgradable, and repairable products will significantly decrease waste generation. Considering the average European produces nearly 180 kilos of packaging waste annually, tackling this issue is imperative.
5. Reducing Raw Material Dependence: As the global population grows, so does the demand for finite raw materials. The EU, for instance, imports about half of its consumed raw materials, leading to a substantial trade deficit. Recycling raw materials can mitigate risks associated with supply, like price volatility and import dependency.
6. Economic Benefits and Job Creation: Moving towards a circular economy can stimulate economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness, potentially creating 700,000 jobs in the EU by 2030. Consumers also benefit from more durable and innovative products, saving money in the long term.

Join industry professionals in the Digital Product Passport Group to share knowledge and insights and to collaborate on these critical initiatives.

Regarding the EU's efforts, the European Commission has been proactive in steering towards a circular economy:

• March 2020: The Circular Economy Action Plan focused on sustainable product design, waste reduction, and consumer empowerment.
• February 2021: The Parliament demanded further measures for a fully circular economy by 2050, including stricter recycling regulations and binding targets for material use.
• March 2022: A package of measures was released to accelerate the circular economy transition, including strategies for sustainable products and focusing on sectors like electronics, plastics, and construction.
• November 2022: The Commission proposed new EU-wide rules on packaging to reduce waste and improve design for reuse and recycling, marking a significant step towards sustainable, bio-based materials.

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