Universal material passport for "resource depot 2.0"

Key results

Key lessons learned

1. We designed an overarching passport system, UP³ (Universal Product Passport Plug-in), which defines a basic selection of product parameters that should be universally available to map the full life cycle of materials. 
2. The collection of universal parameters from UP³ form its own compact passport. A building's UP³ passports can be easily managed centrally, and used by Flanders for calculations and analyses. 
3. The parameters from UP³ form a universally readable, language- and programme-independent source of information. That info can easily be read into all existing passport systems via a plug-in or the programming of an import functionality. 
4. The existing passport systems each have their own strengths and targeted applications, so releasing the compact set of standard parameters in UP³ is not a threat.

1. Existing passport systems are often commercial and operate entirely in isolation. No exchange of data is possible, which complicates materials management. When a product returns to the market, the associated data can only be used by users of the same system. 
2. To switch to circular construction and correctly assess the ecological impact in the construction sector, the full life cycle of materials and goods must be mapped. A compact but essential set of parameters should be freely available. 
3. Importantly, the universal system should not threaten existing passport systems. Thus, UP³ counts a compact selection of product parameters that are universally readable, but the existing passport systems each retain their own strengths and targeted applications with a more extensive set of parameters.