Furniture is among the product groups the European Commission named as priorities in the first working plan of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, ESPR (EU) 2024/1781. The exact data requirements and the date the digital passport becomes mandatory for furniture will only be set by a delegated act. Manufacturers who start organizing their data now will still be in a much better position than those who start at the last minute.
Why furniture is especially hard
A piece of furniture rarely exists in just one version. The same sofa comes in several fabrics, colors and sizes, and the same wardrobe in different finishes and configurations. Each variant can have different components, and those components come from different suppliers. On top of that come the proofs: FSC or PEFC certificates for the wood, test reports, assembly and care instructions.
When this information lives in separate files, discrepancies appear quickly: sales quotes one composition, engineering another, and a retailer in another country yet another.
What to organize first
- The variant structure. Decide whether the passport covers a model, a variant or a specific batch. This decision affects everything that follows.
- Materials and components. For each variant: wood type, boards, fittings, foams and fabrics, with share, country of origin and supplier.
- Certificates. FSC or PEFC certificates and other proofs, with number, issuer and expiry date, linked to the products they actually cover.
- Documents for customers. Assembly, care and disassembly instructions that can go on the public product page.
- Data for retailers. The information trade partners ask for most often, so you do not have to prepare it from scratch every time.
The QR code on the furniture
The passport's QR code can go on the product label, in the assembly instructions or on the packaging. What matters is that it points to a permanent address that does not change when the data is updated. That way, a label printed once stays valid, and the page always shows current information.
How it works in DPPC
In DPPC, furniture has its own fields: wood type and FSC certification are required, while care and disassembly instructions are optional. Every product has a record with materials, suppliers, documents and certificates. Once a certificate passes its expiry date, it is automatically marked as expired, and a product with gaps cannot be published. A published product gets a page with a QR code in SVG format, available in Polish, English, German and Czech.
We describe how DPPC supports furniture manufacturers on our page Digital Product Passport for Furniture. If you sell into Germany, also see our page on the German market.
The data required for furniture will be defined by the Commission's delegated act. DPPC does not replace a legal assessment, but it lets you prepare your data so you can respond to the specific requirements without a rush.