DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORT FOR ALUMINIUM
AMAG and coilDNA forge ahead
The EU digital product passport (DPP) is an initiative launched by the European Union. It is scheduled for phased implementation from 2027 onwards and will require numerous products sold in the EU to have a digital product passport. Each passport will provide comprehensive information about a product’s origins, materials and environmental impact, along with recommendations for its disposal. The normative basis is provided by the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), published in June 2024, along with several other pieces of legislation based on the ESPR. The aim of the ESPR is to improve transparency throughout the value chain and promote sustainable practices.
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According to the working plan set out by the European Commission’s Ecodesign Forum, semi-finished steel and alumi nium products will be prioritized in im plementation of the DPP. The main rea sons for this are the economic significance of the metal industry, the environmental impacts of its production activities and preferences expressed by surveyed stake holder groups. The requirements for implementation of the DPP will be issued by 2026 for the steel industry and by 2027 for the aluminium industry. [1] These require ments will enter into force no less than 18 months after their publication. As economic operators, distributors of steel and aluminium must fulfill the re quirements of the ESPR and provide a digital product passport. The new regulations aim to reduce the environmental impacts of products and materials.
They focus on the following criteria relevant for aluminium (as set out in Article 5 ESPR):
- Energy and water consumption
- Recycled content and recyclability
- Possibility of material recovery
- Environmental impacts, including carbon footprint and environmental footprint
As it stands, early preparations for the digital product passport face a number of challenges:
- Data availability: Forthcoming legal requirements will mandate the disclo sure of data on certain parameters for metals to prove that products achieve environmental performance in accor dance with specified criteria.
- Material coding: Seamless product traceability through every phase in the value chain is a decisive factor in the implementation of the DPP. The tran sition from primary material to series product (e.g. aluminium production -> pressed component) is particularly challenging.
- IT systems for data provision: The European Commission has adopted a distributed approach in which each economic actor must themselves provide and make the relevant data available, albeit with support from DPP service providers.
The current AMAG, coilDNA and GS1 pilot project
Sustainability has been integral to AMAG’s strategy for many years. In 2013, AMAG introduced sustainability reporting in line with the latest standards and has continuously adapted over the years to incorporate new legal requirements and the needs of various stakeholder groups. Consequently, AMAG operates a comprehensive and certified reporting system for non-financial performance indicators (an annual report in line with the ESRS, the Austrian Sustainability and Diversity Improvement Act [NaDiVeG] and the EU Taxonomy Regulation). This provides a solid basis of data from which to generate and provide product-specific information in line with future Ecodesign requirements (data availability).
Founded in 2019, AMAG’s IT subsidiary coilDNA has developed a patented coding technology, thereby laying the foundations for seamless tracking of metals - from the coil through to the finished product. This is a vital step in meeting the requirements imposed in future by the digital product passport. Continuous marking of the metal strip, potentially with several lines of code, makes it possible to conclusively identify individual components and trace the associated data. The coilDNA code provides complete clarity, meaning that even data that can vary over the length of a strip can be definitely allocated to the relevant component and used for optimization purposes in downstream production steps. This means that, in addition to legally required information, the product passport associated with the material can also provide process-relevant material and quality data, thereby offering added value for everyone involved (material coding).
AMAG is participating in working groups and committees (CEN/CLC/JTC 24) tasked with developing standards for the digital product passport. Digital product representations and their links to the physical product are currently under examination in relation to unique identifiers and data carriers and issues regarding unique product identification. As it stands, the corresponding standard is due to be finalized by the end of Q1 2026. Although different manufacturers already label coils in various ways, markings on coils and sheets remain the exception. Numerous customers projects involving coilDNA have already confirmed the need for traceability of individual components in their processing from the coil to the final product. This is where GS1 Switzerland comes in.Based on a globally established system for identifying products with a standardized number system (GTIN) and different coding methods (barcodes, QR codes, data matrix and RFID), an initial pilot project has sought to achieve a structure for the definitive identification of coils and individual components made from them. In this context, the coilDNA code represents a useful addition to the established approach (IT systems for data provision).
Customer benefits:
Thanks to the preliminary collaboration on the digital product passport for metals with GS1, coilDNA is now in a position to work with interested partners in the metal industry (i.e. aluminium, steel, copper, etc.) to develop solutions for digital traceability of materials, from the coil through to the finished component or end product. On the one hand, this is a means of meeting the formal requirements of the digital product passport; on the other hand, it opens the door to inter-company, data-driven optimization of product processes.
Step into the Internet of Materials with coilDNA.
The collaborative activities of AMAG, coilDNA and GS1 have produced an initial mock-up of a digital product passport, which is available online at DPP Pilot AMAG | coilDNA
This product passport can also be accessed for every sheet section cut from the coil through the coilDNA web service at coilDNA - The IoM company. Try it out for yourself!
Statement
AluReport: Can you tell us more about your collaboration with coilDNA and AMAG? How will this technology provide assistance with the digital product passport for metals in the future?
DH: It was a pleasure to have found ideal partners in coilDNA and AMAG for early-stage piloting and testing of a future IT structure for the digital product passport in the aluminium sector. coilDNA technology represents a thoroughly effective supplement to GS1 open standards.
AluReport: What makes coilDNA technology so special in this context?
DH: Mapping an individual sheet marked with coilDNA via a GS1 identification key to the digital passport represents a valuable addition and a key prerequisite for the digital product passport to function in the industrial value chain.
AluReport: Could you explain in more detail how the synergy of GS1 identification and coilDNA code yield benefits?
DH: A GS1 identification key is useful so long as products pass through open supply chains, while the coilDNA code ensures economical tracking within dynamic internal manufacturing processes.
Sources:
[1] Source: ESPR and Energy Labelling Working Plan 2025-30, https://environment.ec.europa.eu/document/5f7ff5e2-ebe9-4bd4-a139-db881bd6398f_en[2] Dominik Halbeisen of GS1 Switzerland has extensive experience in supply chain management and logistics, with a particular focus on traceability. With over 20 years’ experience in designing and implementing logistics infrastructure, structuring supply chains and introducing traceability solutions, he has a deep understanding of the complexities of the forthcoming digital product passport (DPP).
