Towards a Digital Product Passport Fit for Contributing to a Circular Economy

Thomas Adisorn, Lena Tholen and Thomas Götz
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Thomas Adisorn: Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany
Lena Tholen: Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany
Thomas Götz: Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a concept of a policy instrument particularly pushed by policy circles to contribute to a circular economy. The preliminary design of the DPP is supposed to have product-related information compiled mainly by manufactures and, thus, to provide the basis for more circular products. Given the lack of scientific debate on the DPP, this study seeks to work out design options of the DPP and how these options might benefit stakeholders in a product’s value chain. In so doing, we introduce the concept of the DPP and, then, describe the existing regime of regulated and voluntary product information tools focusing on the role of stakeholders. These initial results are reflected in an actor-centered analysis on potential advantages gained through the DPP. Data is generated through desk research and a stakeholder workshop. In particular, by having explored the role the DPP for different actors, we find substantial demand for further research on a variety of issues, for instance, on how to reduce red tape and increase incentives for manufacturers to deliver certain information and on how or through what data collection tool (e.g., database) relevant data can be compiled and how such data is provided to which stakeholder group. We call upon other researchers to close the research gaps explored in this paper also to provide better policy direction on the DPP.

Keywords: resource efficiency; product policy; energy efficiency; digitalization; life cycle assessment; easy-to-repair design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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