A digital product passport for a mattress is a digital file containing data about that specific product: what material it is made of, which substances it contains, how it can be maintained and recycled, and who has placed it on the market. That file is not hidden in a PDF on a website, but linked to a QR code or comparable data carrier on or with the mattress itself. Whoever scans the code will access the current data of that one product.
The passport stems from European legislation for more sustainable products, the so-called ESPR. That regulation is a framework: it determines that product groups such as mattresses can have a passport, but the precise content and entry date are being worked out per product group in a separate delegated act. For mattresses, that work-out is expected around 2028, with an obligation that comes into force thereafter. That date is therefore not yet fixed. As soon as the act is published, this article will be updated accordingly.
What is in the passport
The content of a mattress passport is not yet definitively established, but the ESPR does indicate the direction that applies to most product groups: material composition, presence of substances of concern, information on repair and recycling, and data on the manufacturer or importer. For mattresses, there is extra emphasis on the structure of the core, the types of foam or springs used and the covering, because these components are decisive for recyclability at the end of the product's life. How detailed this will precisely be prescribed follows from the delegated act that has not yet been published.
Who compiles the passport
The regulation places responsibility for the passport with the party that places the product on the European market: usually the manufacturer, or in the case of imports from outside the EU the importer. That party supplies the data; a platform such as matrapas.eu processes that data into a passport, hosts the file for the mandatory period and supplies the QR data carrier. Who in practice performs which role within a company, and how those roles relate to concepts such as "economic operator" from the regulation, is detailed in the knowledge base where this has been worked out for each situation.
Why the date is not yet fixed
This is the part that entrepreneurs ask the most questions about, and rightly so: the ESPR itself is already in force, but that does not mean that the obligation for mattresses also applies. Each product group gets its own delegated act with its own requirements and its own implementation date. For mattresses, that act has not yet been published; the European Commission's work plan mentions 2028 as the expected time of publication, after which the actual obligation comes into force at a later date. Until that publication, any date you encounter is an estimate, not an established fact. On the page that explains where our information comes from you can see how we maintain those official sources and when we update a page.
What you can do with it now
Even without a fixed date, it makes sense to map out now which data about your mattresses is available and which is still missing: material origin, composition, test reports. That work does not have to be done all at once, but whoever starts in good time will be better prepared once the obligation becomes concrete. You can get a first impression of where your company stands with the product scan that provides an indication in a few questions. Frequently asked questions about the status of the legislation, the role of manufacturers and importers, and the expected timeline are compiled on the frequently asked questions page.
For filling in your own situation, and for the question of whether and when specific obligations apply to your company, the official EUR-Lex text and possibly a lawyer remain the appropriate point of reference; this article describes the legislation, it does not provide advice on your specific case.
Would you like to see in advance where your company stands in relation to this development? Take the free quick-scan or read more in the knowledge base; both require no account and provide a direct, concrete answer.