Unlocking Digital Product Passport Integration: Multidimensional Hurdles in Supply Chains

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is considered a critical tool for sustainable supply chains within the scope of the European Green Deal. DPP significantly contributes to improving traceability, transparency, reliability, and circularity in supply chains, enabling a more robust and secure structure. However, despite this significant potential, achieving full integration of DPP is hampered by various organizational, technological, and environmental barriers. This study used the Grey Decision Making Testing and Evaluation Laboratory (Grey DEMATEL) approach, the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, and Force Field Theory to identify and categorize these barriers. A total of 27 barriers were identified based on a comprehensive literature review and the opinions of academic and industry experts, and these barriers were categorized into organizational, technological, and environmental categories. The study findings demonstrate that technological barriers, in particular, have a causal effect that strongly triggers both organizational and environmental challenges. The causal analysis conducted reveals the interdependencies among barriers and guides practitioners and policymakers in identifying resistance points to change. Furthermore, the study offers important insights that will help supply chain stakeholders transition from reactive approaches to proactive strategies when managing DPP-related barriers. The insights gained in this regard support the design of collaborative governance mechanisms to create a more resilient, transparent, manageable, secure, and circular supply chain ecosystem.