From Compliance to Circularity: Stakeholder Perspectives on Adopting Digital Product Passports in Technical Plastics

Plastics are a central focus of the EU Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) due to their high energy demand, environmental impact, and presence in complex, durable products. Electronic waste is rapidly growing and contains complex plastics mixed with hazardous substances, necessitating improved traceability and management. This is facilitated by the introduction of Digital Product Passport (DPP) that enables transparency and data sharing across a product’s life cycle. While plastics aren’t a standalone DPP category, plastics manufacturing and processing will be obliged to contribute to the emerging DPP infrastructure by providing detailed information on materials and substances used in electronic components. Yet, little insights exist about the state of knowledge and preparedness of the plastics sector towards the adoption of DPPs, which motivated this research. This paper presents the condensed results from a stakeholder survey on the preparedness and perceived benefits and challenges associated with the digital product passport (DPP) adoption in the technical plastics sector, particularly concerning electronics. The DPP is a crucial European Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) building block with the aim of product lifecycle transparency and circularity. Our findings indicate widespread challenges in regulatory compliance, technical interoperability, and organizational capacity, especially among end-of-life actors. These issues highlight broader systemic practices, rather than the concept of the DPP itself. Key challenges include integrating DPPs into existing IT systems, addressing legal ambiguities (e.g., data confidentiality, responsibility), and the lack of economic incentives for end-of-life actors. The implementation complexities and existing structural deficiencies are the primary impediments.