The forest and wood industries already have much of the data required for future digital product passports – but to meet the demands of the future, better structure, standardization and coordination are needed.
Digital Product Passport Image: AI-generated image/Panagiota Koukouvinou, Skogforsk
What is a digital product passport – and why is it important for wood-based products?
Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are a structured information system that connects to a physical product via a unique digital identifier, such as a QR code. It contains standardized and machine-readable information on the origin, materials, production and use of the product, as well as instructions for maintenance, repair, spare parts and end-of-life handling of the product. By making this information available and usable, conditions are created for better maintenance, repair and reuse, which in turn can contribute to longer product lifetimes and a more resource-efficient use.
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The EU’s upcoming regulations for digital product passports (DPP) according to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will impose new requirements on how product information should be collected, structured and shared throughout the value chain. Through DPP, relevant and verifiable information should be able to follow products throughout their life cycle and be shared between actors in the value chain. The requirements will be introduced gradually for different product groups from 2027 onwards.
For the forest and wood industry, this is particularly important. The value chain is long and often divided between many actors, while large amounts of data are generated at different stages. In this project, the conditions for digital product passports in the forestry sector have been investigated. The results show that the industry to a large extent already has the data that is expected to be required, but that the information is scattered, not standardized and often lacks a clear connection to the individual product. The main challenge is therefore not in a lack of information, but in how existing data can be structured and shared throughout the value chain.
How the work was carried out: Digital product passports from forest to finished house
Within the project, the conditions for digital product passports in the forest sector have been investigated through literature studies and a case study. The work was based on a review of the information requirements DPP entails and how these can be implemented in the forest and wood industry. The analysis combined the review of relevant EU regulations and standards with mapping of how product information is handled along the value chain, with a focus on ESPR, CPR, EN 15804 (EPD) and GS1 standards. To broaden the analysis, examples of DPP in other industries, including the textile industry, were also studied.
The practical application was analyzed by following information flows in a coherent value chain in collaboration with Sveaskog and Älvsbyhus – from forest to finished house. The work was limited to a single product to clarify how a digital product passport can be built. The collected information was analyzed with a focus on which data points already exist, which can be used directly and which need to be developed further.
Guiding data protocol covers the entire product lifecycle
The work resulted in a model for a data protocol, developed to serve as a guiding support for companies in the forest sector. The aim is to facilitate mapping of existing data access and identify what additions may be
needed for future requirements for digital product passports.
he proposed data protocol is structured into 6 main categories with 97 data points that together cover the product life cycle.
The selection of data points has been made with the aim of ensuring that the information is:
- Traceable – can be linked to a clear step in the value chain
- Verifiable – documented and verifiable during auditing
- Available – already available today or can be made available from the relevant actor
The forest industry is good at traceability – but better sustainability information is needed
The results show that much of the information required for DPP already exists with the actors in the forest and wood value chain, but that it is currently scattered between different systems and rarely linked to the individual product. The case study shows that the forest industry already has established systems for traceability and product information in the value chain. However, this data needs to be organized, standardized and linked to the process industry’s data flows to a greater extent. Data also needs to be made machine-readable in order to be automatically entered into IT systems that generate digital product passports. However, precise standards that meet EU requirements are not established and are still under development.
A clear gap identified in the project is different forms of sustainability information. In digital product passports, information on the product’s carbon footprint and sustainability performance over the entire life cycle is expected to be required. Climate and environmental data therefore emerges as an area where further calculations and clearer links to EPDs are often required. Biodiversity and social sustainability are currently more difficult to describe with standardized and verifiable data points. Despite this, the work shows that a practical application of DPP is already possible today, which is illustrated by the developed prototype (Figma – digital product passport).
Advice to the forest industry: Start work today and be ready for the regulations of the future
DPP is an area in development where both regulations and technical solutions are still being formed. The proposed data protocol is therefore intended to be flexible and adaptable as requirements become more specific.
The project shows that digital product passports can become an important tool to:
- Gather and structure existing information
- Strengthening transparency and traceability
- Facilitate compliance with upcoming regulations
- Create better conditions for sustainability follow-up and business development.
For the forest and wood industry, this means an opportunity to build on existing data expertise and strengthen its preparedness for future requirements. By starting the work with data mapping and structuring at an early stage, the industry can strengthen its long-term conditions and its adaptability.
The article is a summary of the study “Digital product passports for wood-based products”.
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Written by loggers for loggers and dedicated solely to the equipment used in forestry operations.