ESPR by product group

ESPR for Aluminium

Last updated · 2026-06-08Delegated act expected ~2027 (indicative, not yet adopted)

Aluminium is a priority product group in the first ESPR Working Plan, with a delegated act expected around 2027. As an energy-intensive material, it is a strong candidate for carbon-footprint and recycled-content requirements, with data carried via a Digital Product Passport. Dates are indicative, so this page distinguishes the firm from the expected.

TL;DR

  • Aluminium is a priority group in the first ESPR Working Plan (adopted 16 April 2025).
  • Its delegated act is expected around 2027 - indicative, not yet adopted.
  • Requirements are likely to focus on carbon footprint, recycled content and recyclability.
  • As an intermediate material, its DPP data flows into many downstream products.
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Status and timing

Where aluminium stands today

Delegated act: Delegated act expected ~2027 (indicative, not yet adopted)

Digital Product Passport: DPP expected to follow its delegated act, ~2028-2029 (provisional)

  • Aluminium is named as a priority product group in the first Working Plan.
  • A delegated act is expected to set requirements on carbon footprint, recycled content and recyclability, plus information requirements.
  • Exact products and thresholds will only exist once the aluminium delegated act is adopted.

As an energy-intensive intermediate material, aluminium is a strong candidate for carbon-footprint requirements, and its DPP data is expected to feed into downstream products.

Priorities and indicative timing come from the first ESPR Working Plan (2025-2030), under the framework of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781.

The data you will need

What a DPP for aluminium will likely carry

  • Carbon footprint of the material, given its energy intensity.
  • Recycled content and recyclability.
  • Alloy grade and composition.
  • Substances of concern present in the material.
  • Identifiers behind the data carrier that downstream products can reference.

The exact fields are set per product group in its delegated act, so treat this list as the expected shape of the data, not the final requirement. See the DPP data requirements guide for the full picture.

What to do now

What to do for aluminium

  1. Confirm whether you place aluminium products on the EU market as a manufacturer, importer or distributor.
  2. Start measuring the carbon footprint of your materials, given aluminium is energy-intensive.
  3. Document recycled content, alloy grade and composition so the data can flow to downstream customers.
  4. Track the aluminium delegated act, expected around 2027, since requirements and the DPP arrive there.
  5. Use the DPP Readiness Checklist to organise the data you will eventually publish.

FAQ

Aluminium and ESPR: common questions

When will ESPR rules apply to aluminium?
No firm date yet. Aluminium is a priority group with a delegated act expected around 2027, and a DPP would follow roughly 18 months later. Treat these as indicative Working-Plan estimates, not law.
What will ESPR require for aluminium?
The delegated act is expected to set requirements focused on carbon footprint, recycled content and recyclability, with information carried via a Digital Product Passport. The exact thresholds do not exist until the act is adopted.
Will aluminium need a Digital Product Passport?
It is expected to, following the aluminium delegated act expected around 2027, so realistically a DPP around 2028 to 2029. Because aluminium is an intermediate material, its data is expected to feed into downstream products.
Why is carbon footprint important for aluminium?
Aluminium production is energy-intensive, which makes its carbon footprint a likely focus of the delegated act. Carbon footprint is one of the performance aspects ESPR can regulate and a likely DPP data field for the material.
What should aluminium producers do now?
Start measuring the carbon footprint of your materials and documenting recycled content and composition, since these are the fields a DPP is likely to require and that downstream customers will request.

Related

Get ready for ESPR and the DPP

Work through the DPP Readiness Checklist, then explore the tools and guides built for your product group.

Get the DPP Readiness Checklist

This is guidance, not legal advice

This is guidance to help you understand how ESPR is expected to apply to aluminium, not legal advice. ESPR is a framework law and most product rules arrive via delegated acts that are not yet adopted, so confirm with the official sources we link or a qualified adviser before acting.

Sources

  1. [1]Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR), full text (EUR-Lex)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
  2. [2]European Commission: 2025-2030 ESPR Working Planretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  3. [3]Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (EU Battery Regulation), full text (EUR-Lex)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
  4. [4]CIRPASS-2: EU Digital Product Passport pilotsretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  5. [5]JRC: Digital Product Passport data-requirements methodology (JRC145830)retrieved 8 Jun 2026

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