DPP vs EPD - What's the Difference?

Digital Product Passports (DPP) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) are both sustainability documentation tools, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.

Quick Comparison

What is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized document that reports environmental data of products based on life cycle assessment (LCA). EPDs follow ISO 14025 standards and focus exclusively on environmental impacts like carbon footprint, water use, and resource depletion.

Key Differences

1. Legal Status

DPP: Mandatory requirement under EU Regulation 2024/1781 (ESPR) for products sold in the EU market starting 2026.

EPD: Voluntary certification, though some sectors (construction materials) may require them for public procurement.

2. Information Scope

DPP includes:

• Materials and components
• Manufacturing data
• Repair instructions
• Recycling information
• Supply chain details
• Performance metrics
• Compliance certificates

EPD includes:

• Carbon footprint (GWP)
• Ozone depletion potential
• Acidification potential
• Eutrophication potential
• Resource use indicators
• Waste generation

3. Technology and Access

DPP:

• Digital-first approach
• QR codes or NFC tags on products
• Dynamic data updates
• Tiered access (public, business, regulators)

EPD:

• Static PDF documents
• Available on manufacturer websites
• No real-time updates
• Same information for all users

4. Lifecycle Coverage

DPP: Tracks individual products from manufacturing through disposal, with potential for real-time updates during use phase.

EPD: Provides average environmental impacts for a product model, based on representative production data.

5. Verification

DPP: Must be hosted by certified service providers with data accuracy requirements enforced by market surveillance.

EPD: Third-party verified according to ISO 14025, valid for 3-5 years before renewal needed.

When You Need Each

You Need a DPP When:

• Selling covered products in the EU (mandatory)
• Tracking individual product instances
• Providing repair and recycling instructions
• Meeting ESPR compliance requirements
• Enabling circular economy features

You Need an EPD When:

• Bidding for green public procurement
• Marketing environmental performance
• Meeting LEED or BREEAM requirements
• Conducting supplier comparisons
• Voluntary sustainability reporting

Can They Work Together?

Yes. EPD data can feed into DPP environmental sections. Many companies will maintain both:

• EPD for detailed environmental marketing and B2B communication
• DPP for regulatory compliance and end-to-end traceability

Timeline Considerations

• EPDs: Already widely used, especially in construction sector
• DPPs: Mandatory from 2026 for priority sectors, expanding through 2030

Cost Implications

EPD costs:

• LCA study: €10,000-30,000
• Verification: €3,000-5,000
• Valid for 3-5 years

DPP costs:

• Initial setup: €5,000-50,000 (depending on complexity)
• Annual hosting: €1,000-10,000
• Ongoing data management required

Conclusion

While EPDs focus solely on environmental impacts through static documentation, DPPs provide comprehensive, dynamic product information required for EU market access. Companies should view EPDs as valuable input for DPP environmental data, but recognize that DPPs have much broader scope and legal requirements.

Organizations already using EPDs have a head start on DPP implementation, as they've already compiled much of the environmental data needed. However, DPP compliance requires significant additional information and digital infrastructure beyond traditional EPD documentation.