CE-RISE Pilots - How We Aim to Accelerate Circular Solutions

What if every electronic product carried its own passport?

By 2030, this will be reality in the European Union. Digital Product Passports (DPPs) will transform how we design, use, and reuse technology - making circularity the norm, not the exception.

The CE-RISE project aiming to optimise raw material reuse and recovery in electronic products, is working on the creation of an “Information System” that will structure all the necessary information and make it easily accessible, consistent and interoperable for the future use of DPPs. The first version will be soon operational, combining the work of 28 partners from 11 European countries.  

To test the theoretical work in practice CE-RISE is running five pilots, focussing on the following products: printers, batteries, large HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) equipment, ICT equipment and PV modules. 

Lexmark, now part of Xerox, is taking part in the pilots and is testing how the DPP can support their operations at their Circular Economy Hub in Poland where collected printers and cartridges are brought from all over Europe for remanufacturing and refurbishment. 

Last year, they opened their doors to show us around as we talked about how by testing Digital Product Passports in real industrial settings, we aim to show that data-driven approaches can support and enhance waste reduction, increase the recovery and use of secondary materials, and make RE-strategies such as repair, remanufacturing, and high-quality recycling more impactful and efficient. Check the video above to see for yourself!

Recap of the CE-RISE Annual Event in Geneva

Ahead of WRF’25 CE-RISE held its annual event on 1 September 2025 in Geneva. Gathering 40 participants from across the globe, including industry actors and policy makers, our partners shed light on the global outlook on DPP adoption.

CE-RISE at CircularTech Forum 2025

Last October, Arne von Hofe (CSCP) and Elise Vermeersch (SCYCLE - Sustainable Cycles) presented the project to close to 50 participants at CircularTech Forum 2025 in Cologne, Germany. 

Supporting the workshop, Katja Zajko (Recosi - Refresh IT) and Levente Benei (Lexmark) equally elaborated on how the CE-RISE Information System will add value to their operations in printers remanufacturing and ICT/laptop refurbishing and of course, explained any challenges they have faced so far.

Once done with the presentations, we encouraged participants to work together and based on an open dialogue - theoretically - apply the same method(s) to their own products. 

Were they successful? Come and join us at our next event in 2026 and we will tell you more. More information will follow soon! 

Digital Product Passport: A New Asset Against Illegal Waste Trade?

The Digital Product Passport has the potential to become a powerful tool not only for promoting sustainable production and consumption but also for enhancing the ability of authorities to prevent and combat illegal waste trade, particularly in the e-waste sector.

By improving product traceability, supporting evidence-based enforcement, and facilitating international cooperation, the DPP could significantly strengthen regulatory oversight. However, realising these benefits will require addressing technological, legal, and operational challenges to ensure that DPP systems are secure, accessible, and effectively integrated into existing enforcement structures.

Further research with enforcement authorities and policy development should explore this underrepresented dimension of the DPP to fully harness its potential in waste prevention and control.

Have your say!

Stakeholders’ contributions are crucial for the project! Our goal is to create a network that will provide feedback to enable us to understand end user needs, collect data, test outcomes and raise awareness through sharing results.

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This project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. The contents of this newsletter only reflect the views of the project.