On April 15, 2025, the European Commission took a major step toward a more sustainable and circular economy with the release of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) Working Plan 2025–2030.

At its core, ESPR aims to make sustainable products the new norm across Europe, changing how products are designed, produced, marketed, and managed throughout their lifecycle.

What is ESPR?

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the EU’s flagship legislative proposal to make sustainable products the norm in the European market. It builds on and replaces the Ecodesign Directive, dramatically expanding its scope beyond energy-related products.

Key elements of the ESPR:

• Wider Product Scope: Covers all physical goods (not just energy-using ones) with a focus on textiles, furniture, electronics, batteries and tires, among others.
  
  Priority product groups for the first implementation phase include:
  
  • Textiles and apparel
    
  • Furniture and mattresses
    
  • Consumer electronics and ICT products
    
  • Plastics and intermediate materials
    
  • Construction products
    
• Design Requirements: Products must meet new sustainability, circularity, and resource-efficiency criteria, including durability, reparability, upgradability, and recyclability.
  
• Digital Product Passport (DPP): A central innovation. The DPP will store and share detailed product data across the value chain, enabling transparency and compliance tracking.
  
  It will include data on materials, origins, environmental performance, and handling instructions, standardized across the EU.
  
• Traceability & Supply Chain Transparency: Companies will be required to track product data at scale, ensuring that every player in the supply chain can access and contribute to a unified data ecosystem.
  
• Market Surveillance & Enforcement: With DPPs and stricter rules, authorities can better detect non-compliance, and unsustainable or non-transparent products can be restricted from the EU market.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP)

One of the most innovative and transformative features of the ESPR is the creation of Digital Product Passports (DPPs).

Hence, the DPPs will collect, structure, and share essential product information digitally, empowering consumers, manufacturers, and authorities with reliable data on sustainability, material composition, environmental impact, and more.

The purpose of DPPs is to:

• Enable more informed purchasing decisions
  
• Support better repair, remanufacturing, and recycling practices
  
• Strengthen regulatory enforcement and market surveillance
  
• Drive innovation in product design and supply chain transparency

For companies, DPPs will reshape traceability expectations. Organizations must prepare to gather, manage, and share granular data throughout the supply chain — from sourcing to end-of-life.

How PSQR Supports Businesses on the ESPR Journey

At PSQR, we understand that traceability is no longer just a regulatory checkbox – it’s a critical business capability.

Our traceability software solutions are designed to help businesses:

• Collect and manage detailed product data
  
• Enable full lifecycle tracking and transparency
  
• Comply with upcoming DPP and ESPR requirements
  
• Transform compliance challenges into opportunities for operational excellence and brand leadership

We are proud to be at the forefront of supporting businesses as they adapt to ESPR and embrace the Digital Product Passport revolution.

Ready to prepare for the future of sustainable products?
Contact us to learn how we can help you stay ahead of the curve and learn more in our case studies below