Are Future-Proof Product IDs the “Next Big Thing”?

In the medium term, the European Union (EU) wants to tag countless new durable consumer goods with a unique, permanently readable identifier - linking to the Digital Product Passport (DPP). Will this usher in a "golden age" for the RFID industry?

In competition with other major economic regions, the EU is pursuing an ambitious path to become carbon neutral and sustainable: the European Green Deal. Following this, the EU has proposed initiatives covering the entire lifecycle of a product. The goal is to prevent waste and keep the utilized materials in use for as long as possible, stimulating circular economy practices and promoting sustainable consumption. However, to obtain, utilize, keep and access all the information required to achieve that goal, there must be a solution at hand. And this is where the Digital Product Passport (DPP) enters the scene.

According to the project consortium in charge of developing standards for the DPP, it “is a structured collection of product-related data with pre-defined scope and agreed data management and access rights conveyed through a unique identifier, and which is accessible via electronic means through a data carrier. The intended scope of the DPP is information related to sustainability, circularity, value retention for re-use, remanufacturing, and recycling.”

RFID technology: superior “unique identifiers” for the DPP

RFID and its subset, NFC, are for sure very compelling options for “unique identifiers” that carry “product-related data” and are “accessible via electronic means,” aka readers. In the case of NFC, these readers are a part of most smartphones. However, RFID/NFC inlays are not the only feasible unique identifiers. But as DPP components, NFC inlays and tags can capitalize on their general advantages such as robustness and longevity (especially when they are embedded or covered under protective layers), no line of sight for reading the data, low interference with product or corporate design rules, combined with well-ensured accessibility to end users.

RAIN RFID (UHF) inlays on the other hand require dedicated readers – a fact that might spur demand for inlays that are “dual-frequency.” Such RAIN and NFC-compatible inlays would combine end-user accessibility in their DPP role with the traditional RAIN RFID benefits related to brand protection and supply chain visibility, efficiency, and sustainability.

A sure bet: custom RFID inlays and tags will make a difference

The more precisely NFC, RAIN RFID, and dual-frequency inlays and tags are matched to the products they tag and the environments they are used in, the bigger their potential benefits are. While industrial and electric vehicle batteries, the first products to be subject to mandatory DPPs from 2027, are large and uncritical in terms of aesthetics and are used under well-assessable operating conditions, this will not be the case for the wide array of other product groups including consumer electronics, apparel, furniture or toys.

These other products will require a strength that Tageos has already demonstrated with its innovative, high-performance RAIN RFID (UHF) inlays and tags, and will continue to demonstrate also with its growing portfolio of NFC/HF and DF (dual frequency) and custom products that are precisely tailored to their individual application environments and needs.

Stay calm and be prepared – with Tageos

Tageos is closely monitoring all DPP developments and will respond accordingly and in due time. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the DPP in general, we recommend the following links:

Going back to the original question: Even though it is likely that the DPP will remain an EU-centric topic for a short period of time, similar systems will gain importance worldwide as part of a strongly growing collection of circular economy solutions. This has the potential to create tremendous opportunities for the entire global RFID/NFC value chain, especially for companies that partner with Tageos.