As regulators demand more information about the origin and life cycle of products, manufacturers are turning to advanced technologies to meet these expectations. Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are one such requirement. Radio and Identification (RAIN) Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology allows manufacturers to deliver DPPs and meet the growing demand for product traceability.Leading the charge in RAIN RFID innovation is Impinj. The company’s One Big Thing – its pioneering RAIN RFID for item-level tracking – is helping manufacturers create products and solutions that enable transparency and sustainability at scale. We spoke to the company’s vice president of advanced technology, Megan Brewster, to discuss how Impinj delivers these innovations to global manufacturers.What Is a Digital Product Passport?DPPs are digital records that track a product throughout its life cycle. They provide crucial information about an item’s origin, material composition, manufacturing processes, compliance, and sustainability. The records also include end-of-life information, such as recycling guidelines. In line with global sustainability goals, the European Union (EU) is mandating DPPs for various product categories, requiring detailed information on materials, carbon footprint, and recycling potential. The first of several compliance deadlines will roll out in 2027. How RAIN RFID Can Enable DPPsThe RAIN Alliance is the global consortium of companies promoting the adoption of RFID technology. RAIN RFID is crucial in enabling real-time item-level visibility, which is essential for ensuring that DPPs are updated seamlessly as items travel throughout the supply chain, making it easier for manufacturers to track compliance and sustainability metrics while maintaining data accuracy. “Companies, including many manufacturers, are already tagging over a billion items per week with RAIN RFID,” says Brewster. “It enables the real-time, accurate, and digitized data about the movement of goods, helping them solve business challenges like identifying, locating, and authenticating items within their four walls and along their supply chain.” Some RAIN RFID tags are built to withstand harsh conditions, ensuring they last as long as the product.One key advantage of RAIN RFID is its non-line-of-sight reading capability – tags don’t need to be read directly in front of an optical scanner. This is especially useful in large-scale operations, where tagged products are constantly moved and visibility can be limited.Impinj’s technology is used across the automotive, electronics, and consumer goods industries. The company and its partners provide the hardware and software that allow manufacturers to integrate RFID into their supply chain easily. This creates a seamless way to track products from production to disposal, making RAIN RFID a compelling technology as organizations that sell into the European market begin to prepare for DPP compliance. "Solutions enabled by these RAIN RFID products can transform manufacturing and automotive assembly lines, and they can streamline even some of the most complex assembly processes," Brewster tells us. In the automotive industry, for example, tags using Impinj’s technology track parts throughout the manufacturing process, enabling companies to comply with safety standards. “Manufacturers are embedding RAIN RFID tags into automobile tires to monitor their full life cycle, from sale to repair to retreading,” Brewster adds.DPP Regulations’ Impact on North American ManufacturersAlthough DPP regulations originate in the EU, Brewster warns that the global nature of the supply chain means that North American manufacturers will be significantly impacted as well. “These DPPs will include not just the final item, but also the raw materials and components that go into it,” says Brewster. “In 2024, the United States imported over €300 billion worth of goods into the EU, including automotive, aerospace, and defense products. Companies supplying raw materials and components to the final finished product may need to contribute the necessary data for DPPs, making the regulations relevant to all suppliers in the supply chain.”Implementing RAIN RFID is a proactive way for American manufacturers to meet the growing consumer demand for transparency, improve supply chain visibility, and stay on top of regulatory trends while aligning with sustainability goals. Despite the common misconception that these digital records are costly and complex, Brewster tells us that “most deployments are seeing a return on investment within 12 to 24 months.”To learn more about Brewster's vision for the future of manufacturing, read “Impinj’s Megan Brewster on Smarter, Sustainable Supply Chains.” Here, she discusses how RAIN RFID is revolutionizing transparency, sustainability, and product traceability.
RAIN RFID enables Digital Product Passports (DPPs), transforming product tracking with transparency, sustainability, and enhanced supply chain management.
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