Adhesives & Sealants Digital Product Passports Promote Transparency and Sustainability in Circular Packaging
The packaging industry is facing a dual challenge, with consumers demanding sustainable solutions, while increasingly stringent regulations require greater resource efficiency in production. How can companies fulfill these expectations and, at the same time, ensure transparency along the entire supply chain? The digital product passport (DPP) could be the answer. How does it work in practice, and what opportunities does it bring to the industry? In a joint project with the open traceability and DPP platform R-Cycle and the flexible packaging converter Korozo Group, Henkel has demonstrated the benefits that can be achieved.
The pressure to develop environmentally compatible and resource-efficient packaging has increased tangibly. At the same time, global supply chains require greater transparency along the value chain in order to ensure that the origin of the materials, their processing, and the end of the life cycle are traceable.
One key trend in the packaging industry is the shift toward a circular economy. The goal is not only to make packaging more efficient but also to return it to the production cycle at the end of its life. For this to happen, the materials need to be recyclable and the raw materials used need to be derived from sustainable sources wherever possible. In addition, there needs to be clear rules for disposal. Digital solutions are becoming increasingly important in the efforts to satisfy these requirements.
Against this backdrop, focus is turning to the DPP. This is a key instrument in creating a digital record of the necessary information about the composition, life cycle, and sustainability aspects of a product and making this information accessible. Driven by regulatory requirements such as the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the DPP will become mandatory in many industries from 2027.
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Source: Henkel / Adhesives Magazine