Digital product passports are essential for the circular transformation.

ZINQ recognised this early on and therefore made digital product passports (DPP) one of the eight areas of action in its circular business model, Planet ZINQ. Together with strong partners, ZINQ is already working on developing digital circular product passports and putting them into practice. Furthermore, ZINQ is involved in projects such as CEWI by the Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft, as part of which a white paper containing recommended actions for the implementation of Digital Product Passports was developed.

Whitepaper
DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORT FOR CLIMATE AND RESOURCE PROTECTION

Now ZINQ is one of 15 partners in the EU-funded project “Enabling Circular Value Chains via Production Digitization and Human Empowerment” (ENCIRCLE). The aim of the project is to transform traditional production methods into more sustainable, circular models. A key focus is on digital product passports. „The ENCIRCLE project aims to promote the circular economy through digitized data collection and processing,“ explains Thomas Pinger, Head of Research and Development at ZINQ Technologie GmbH, the technology developer of the ZINQ Group. „Digital product passports are essential for a circular economy, which is why they are now incorporated into European as well as national regulations, such as the recently adopted National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS). When collecting and passing on product-related data from design to production to the initial or subsequent user and ultimately to recycling, the circular properties of products must also be taken into account. Therefore, at ZINQ we also speak of the digital circular product passport (DCPP).“

In the ENCIRCLE project, ZINQ is one of three pilot sites developing the basis for Digital Product Passports using concrete application examples, thereby contributing its experience from the prototypical development of a DCPP.

Focus areas and approach ENCIRCLE

The ENCIRCLE project is made up of a consortium of 15 partners – including leading research institutions, industry leaders and specialised SMEs.
ENCIRCLE aims to:

  1. To promote circular business models that decouple economic growth from resource use.
  2. To improve ecodesign practices to reduce the environmental impact of products.
  3. To increase the environmental awareness of actors along the value chain through gamification and training tools.
  4. To enable sustainable production and sustainable consumption through digital product passports (DPPs) and digital marketplaces.
  5. To promote global cooperation to counteract market fragmentation and create uniform frameworks for sustainability.

In accordance with EU guidelines for sustainable production, ENCIRCLE focuses on a strategic approach to circularity at every phase of the product life cycle:

  1. AI-driven control loops for sustainable manufacturing
  2. A framework for circularity and life cycle assessment (LCA)
  3. Production virtualisation for error-free manufacturing right from the first attempt
  4. human-in-the-loop decision support systems
  5. Gamification for the promotion of circular value chains
  6. Introduction of a Digital Product Passport (DPP)

With the vision of sustainable consumption and responsible production, companies are encouraged, among other things, to adopt circular CRM systems. Consumers are provided with digital tools to make sustainable choices. By taking legal and ethical aspects into account, the aim is to create a model that meets the environmental demands of our time.

Encircle is funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.