Digital Product Passports: The Physical-Digital Link is the Circular Economy’s Missing Link

Europe is setting a new standard for transparency. With the imminent arrival of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), manufacturers can no longer rely on simple self-declarations. They must now provide precise, verifiable data regarding the origin, composition, and recyclability of their products.

However, a crucial question often remains unanswered in digitalization strategies: how do we guarantee that the digital data actually corresponds to the physical product we hold in our hands?

The Flaw in Traditional Traceability

Today, most traceability initiatives rely on external markings: QR codes, barcodes, or RFID tags. While these technologies are excellent for logistics management, they suffer from a major security flaw: they are separable from the product.

A label can be torn off, a QR code can be copied onto a counterfeit item, and packaging can be swapped. As soon as the physical link is broken or falsified, the "digital twin"—no matter how sophisticated—becomes useless. We run the risk of having certified data... attached to a product that isn't.

Coded Molecular Taggants: the DNA of Materials

At Olnica, we believe that true security should not be located on the product, but in the product. This is the role of our invisible molecular taggants.

By integrating a unique code directly into the material itself (plastic, ink, varnish, textile), we create an intrinsic and unforgeable link between the physical object and its digital passport. This tracer acts like a fingerprint or DNA: it is invisible to the naked eye, withstands industrial processing, and cannot be removed without destroying the product itself.

Towards a trusted circular economy

This technology is becoming a strategic asset for the circular economy. It enables brands to:

• Prove the use of recycled materials (by tracing post-consumer plastic all the way to the new product).
• Protect against Greenwashing thanks to irrefutable forensic proof in the event of an audit.

Secure the value chain against the injection of counterfeits or lower-quality materials.

In the era of the Digital Product Passport, technology must not only serve to store information but to verify it. Don’t let the physical link be the weak link in your CSR strategy.