Digital Product Passport: labels and data carriers for the EU ESPR
Under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), product groups will one by one need a Digital Product Passport: a unique product identifier on a physical data carrier that opens the product's data online. Cansal prints and encodes those carriers — QR codes, RFID and NFC labels and hang tags, serialised per item — and can set up the passport page behind them.
What a passport needs from the physical product
Each passport is linked to a unique identifier carried on the product, its packaging or its documents. The carrier must stay readable for the life of the product and point to data held by the brand or its service provider. The exact data fields are set product group by product group, so brands that choose a flexible carrier now avoid reprinting later.
Packaging itself is regulated by the PPWR rather than the ESPR, but the packaging, hang tag or care label is often where the passport carrier sits.
What Cansal delivers
How a pilot works
- Choose one product line and the data you want to show.
- We agree the identifier scheme and carrier (QR, RFID, NFC or a combination).
- We print and encode a pilot batch and set up the passport page.
- You test scanning in store, warehouse and with customers, then scale up.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Digital Product Passport mandatory today?
Not yet for most products. The ESPR framework is in force and the EU registry is live, but each product group becomes mandatory only after its delegated act applies. Batteries come first in February 2027; textiles are expected later in the decade.
QR code or RFID — which carrier should we use?
A QR code is the lowest-cost carrier and any smartphone can read it. RFID adds bulk reading for logistics and stock counts, and NFC adds tap-to-read. Many brands combine a QR code for consumers with RFID for operations; we can put both on one label.
Does packaging need a Digital Product Passport?
The passport under the ESPR applies to the product itself. Packaging is regulated by the PPWR, which brings its own labelling rules. The passport carrier can still be printed on the packaging where the product rules allow.
Can you add a passport carrier to labels you already print for us?
Yes. We add a serialised QR code or an RFID or NFC inlay to existing hang tags, care labels or stickers without changing your design, and link them to your passport data.
Who owns and hosts the passport data?
The brand is responsible for the data. We can set up a passport page under your domain or host one for you; the data remains yours and can be moved to any DPP service provider.
Related pages
EU compliance
Exporting to Europe or sourcing from Turkey? We supply the compliance data your EU customers and authorities ask for.
EUDREUDR data package
Upstream DDS references or geolocation, HS codes and supplier data for paper labels and cartons. Applies from 30 December 2026.
PPWRPPWR documents
Supplier declarations, heavy-metal and PFAS evidence, recyclability assessment and a draft declaration of conformity.
Official sources
This page summarises EU rules for buyers of labels and packaging. It is not legal advice; check how the rules apply to your company with your compliance adviser.
Last reviewed: 8 October 2026
Talk to our compliance team
Send us your article list and the EU company that places the goods on the market. We reply within one business day with the documents we can supply per article.