Documentation

Knowledge Base & Admin Manual

Comprehensive guides on EU ESPR laws, platform management, billing, and every feature you need to achieve full compliance.

Introduction to SustainPassport

SustainPassport is an authorized Digital Product Passport (DPP) issuing agency. Think of us as the digital equivalent of a vehicle registration office, but for physical products. We issue official, GS1-compliant QR codes that link to a secure, EU-registry-compliant digital passport for your products.

Whether you are a manufacturer inside the EU or an importer from outside (e.g., China, USA, Türkiye), if your product enters the European market, it requires a DPP. Our platform automates data collection, translation, and issuance, ensuring you are fully compliant without needing expensive consultants.

Quick Start Guide

Getting your DPP issued takes 4 simple steps:

01

Create Company Account

Register your company, enter your Tax ID/VAT, and select a suitable plan. No credit card is required for the 14-day trial.

02

Submit Product Data

Add products manually via the DPP Manager or use our Excel/CSV bulk import tool. Enter materials, supplier info, and weight.

03

Platform Calculates Footprint

Our automated engine calculates the CO₂ footprint and compliance score based on the data you provided.

04

Receive QR Code

Self-Service plans issue QR codes instantly. Agency plans take 24-48 hours as our team verifies the data manually.

What is the EU ESPR Regulation?

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is the cornerstone of the EU's strategy to make products more sustainable. It mandates the introduction of Digital Product Passports for almost all goods sold in the European market.

The ESPR requires manufacturers to provide information on the environmental sustainability of products, such as their carbon footprint, recycled content, and reparability. This data must be accessible via a digital link (QR code).

Official EU Law Reference: Read the full regulation text on the European Commission website.

environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/sustainable-products-regulation_en

GS1 Digital Link Standards

Our QR codes use the GS1 Digital Link standard. Unlike standard QR codes that just contain a URL, GS1 Digital Links embed structured data (like GTIN, serial numbers, and batch numbers) directly into the URL.

This ensures your QR code can be scanned by any standard consumer device, while also being instantly recognized by EU customs, retailers, and official registry systems.

1. Dashboard Management Guide

The Dashboard is your mission control. It provides a real-time overview of your compliance status. Here is a detailed breakdown of every element:

Stats Grid (Top Metrics)

  • Total Products: Displays the total number of product models (SKUs) you have uploaded. The green text shows how many were added this month.
  • DPPs Generated: Shows how many of your products have an active, issued QR code. The percentage indicates your completion rate (Generated / Total).
  • Compliance Score: A calculated metric (0-100%) indicating how ready your data is for ESPR audits. A score above 85% is recommended.
  • Languages: Shows how many languages your DPP data has been translated into.
  • Global Suppliers: The number of supply chain partners you have invited to the portal.

ESPR Readiness by Category

This bar chart breaks down your compliance score by product category (e.g., Batteries, Textiles, Electronics). It helps you identify which categories are fully compliant (green) and which need more data (yellow/red).

Critical Deadlines (2024 - 2028)

A timeline of when specific product categories become legally required to have DPPs. For example, Batteries must have DPPs by August 2024, while Textiles are required by Q1 2026. Use this to prioritize your data entry.

Recently Updated

A quick log of the most recent products you or your team have modified. It shows the product name, the time of the last update, and its current status (Issued, Pending, or Action Needed).

2. Products (DPP Manager) Guide

The DPP Manager is where you input the physical and environmental data of your product. The EU requires specific data points. Here is how to fill it out:

Basic Details

  • Product Name & SKU: The commercial name and internal Stock Keeping Unit. The SKU is crucial as it forms part of your unique QR code URL.
  • Product Category: Select the EU-defined category. Different rules apply to Batteries vs. Textiles. Choose "Other / Multiple" if your product spans categories.

Materials & Sustainability

  • Primary Material: The dominant material (e.g., Lithium-ion, Cotton). This heavily influences the CO2 calculation.
  • Recyclability (%): The percentage of the product that can be recovered at the end of its life.

Estimated CO₂ Footprint

This is an automated estimate. Our platform uses an internal database of material emission factors. Important: This is an estimate. If you have exact LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) data, you can override it in the advanced fields.

Action Buttons

Save as Draft: Saves the data without generating a QR code. Generate DPP & QR Code: Locks the data, creates the official passport, and generates the downloadable QR image instantly.

3. QR Code Management Guide

This page is your repository for all generated digital links and QR images.

QR Code Cards

Each card displays the product name, SKU, and the QR image. You can download the image in two formats:

  • PNG: Standard image format. Best for simple documents or small runs.
  • SVG: Vector format. Crucial for industrial packaging lines, as it can be scaled infinitely without losing quality.

Requesting Physical Stickers

If you need pre-printed labels, use the "Request Stickers" button. This sends a query to our agency team, who will contact you with material options (e.g., waterproof polyester) and pricing based on volume.

4. Compliance Reports Guide

When you need to submit data to the EU Registry or provide proof to customs, this is where you download the official files.

Issued Passports Table

A list of all products with a "Issued" status. The table shows the date of issuance. In the "Actions" column, you have two download options:

  • PDF (Red Icon): A human-readable document containing all product data, QR code, and compliance scores. Ideal for audits.
  • JSON (Code Icon): A machine-readable file formatted to CIRPASS specifications. This is the file you upload to the official EU Registry portal.

Export All (ZIP)

If you have hundreds of products, you can click "Export All" to download a ZIP file containing all PDFs and JSONs for batch uploading to the EU system.

5. Suppliers Portal Guide

The EU requires DPP data to include supply chain transparency. The Suppliers Portal allows you to securely collect data from your partners without giving them full access to your account.

Invite Supplier

Clicking this sends a secure email link to your supplier. They will be taken to a restricted portal where they can only input the material composition and CO2 data for the components they supply to you.

Status Indicators

  • Active: The supplier has completed their data entry and it is linked to your DPPs.
  • Pending: The invitation has been sent, but the supplier has not yet filled out the required forms.

6. Language Hub Guide

The Language Hub allows you to manage and translate your DPP data into 100+ languages. This ensures that consumers and customs officials across the EU and the world can read your product passport in their native language.

What does the progress percentage mean?

The percentage indicates how much of your product data has been translated into that specific language. 100% means all fields are fully translated and ready for the EU registry.

Why is English always at 100%?

English is the "Source Language" (the original data you entered in the DPP Manager). Because it is the base text, it is always considered 100% complete. All other languages are translations of this original English text.

How does the Translation Editor work?

On the left side of the editor, you see the original English text. On the right side, you see the translation field. You can either manually type the translation, or click the "AI Translate" button to let our platform automatically translate all fields instantly.

7. Settings & Security Guide

Manage your personal details, company info, team roles, and integrations here.

Personal & Company Info

Update your name, email, and phone number. Company info includes the legal name, Tax ID/VAT, and default DPP language.

Team Members

You can invite colleagues (e.g., a Compliance Officer) to help manage data. They will receive an email to create their own password. You can assign them roles that restrict their access (e.g., they can edit products but cannot change billing).

Security (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication adds a layer of security. When enabled, logging in requires your password AND a code sent to your phone. We highly recommend enabling this for accounts managing sensitive supply chain data.

API Keys

If you have an ERP system (like SAP or Odoo), you can use the API key to automatically push product data from your ERP into SustainPassport. Treat this key like a password. Use "Regenerate" if you suspect it has been compromised.

Danger Zone

This allows you to permanently delete your account. Warning: This will immediately revoke all issued QR codes, and consumers scanning them will see an error page. This action cannot be undone.

Printing QR Stickers Yourself

If you have an in-house packaging line, you can print the QR codes yourself. We recommend downloading the SVG format for the highest clarity.

  • Use durable, water-resistant synthetic paper or polyester labels.
  • Ensure the printed QR code is at least 2x2 cm to ensure easy scanning.
  • Test the printed code with multiple smartphones before mass production.

Ordering Physical Stickers from Us

Don't want to deal with printing? We offer a service to print and deliver physical QR code stickers directly to your warehouse. We outsource this to specialized industrial printing partners to ensure the highest quality and durability for transport and retail environments.

Pricing is calculated based on volume and material type. You can request a quote directly from the "QR Codes" page in your dashboard. Stickers are billed separately from your monthly subscription.

Subscriptions & Plans

SustainPassport operates on a SaaS (Software as a Service) subscription model. Plans start at €149/mo for the Starter tier, designed for small importers with up to 15 active products.

The Business Agency plan (€390/mo) is the most popular, offering full agency verification, material review, and issuance within 24–48 hours for up to 100 products.

For large distributors, the Scale & Enterprise plan (€890/mo) includes full REST API access, ERP syncing, and up to 500 active SKUs. Please note that each tier requires a one-time onboarding fee to cover legal business validation and GS1 prefix verification.

You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your subscription at any time from the Settings page. Additional capacity (extra SKUs) and express turnarounds are available as add-ons.

Invoices & VAT

All payments are processed securely via Stripe. Invoices are automatically generated and sent to your billing email address.

If you are an EU business with a valid VAT number, you can enter it in the Settings page to ensure reverse-charge VAT applies. If you are outside the EU, local taxes may apply depending on your region.

Sustain AI

Docs Assistant

👋 Need help finding a specific regulation or understanding a document? Ask me!