The Role and Future Prospects of Data-Sharing Infrastructures in the Circular Economy

Abstract

This paper examines the role of data-sharing infrastructures in realizing a circular economy (CE), with a particular focus on the Digital Product Passport (DPP). It first provides an overview of policy and regulatory developments in Europe, and then analyzes practical use cases of data utilization based on pilot projects in both Europe and Japan. The analysis shows that ensuring “traceable physical items”—that is, maintaining the linkage between physical products and their associated data—at the stages of product disposal and collection plays a critical role in improving the efficiency of circular processes and enhancing the reliability of secondary materials. In addition, the study clarifies that the integration of forward and reverse supply chains enables optimization across the entire product life cycle. Furthermore, while data-sharing infrastructures contribute to the establishment of circular business models and the advancement of data certification, they also involve challenges such as data sovereignty and the burden on participating stakeholders. Based on these findings, the paper discusses future directions for the implementation of data-sharing infrastructures in CE.