The UK Government has published the Construction Products Reform Green Paper 2025, setting out proposals to strengthen the regulation of construction products.
This consultation comes in response to widespread concerns about the safety, compliance and traceability of construction products—concerns that were tragically highlighted by the 2017 Grenfell Tower disaster, which exposed serious flaws in product testing, certification and marketing.
The Government’s latest proposals aim to address these challenges by enhancing oversight of product testing and certification, ensuring greater transparency in the supply chain and preventing unsafe or mislabelled materials from entering the market. These reforms are not just necessary—they mark a significant shift in how construction businesses must manage product data and regulatory compliance.
For companies manufacturing, distributing and using construction products, the introduction of more stringent requirements means that accurate product identification, traceability and verifiable compliance data will become essential. Those who can provide clear, structured information on product performance, provenance and regulatory approval will be best positioned to meet these new demands. This is where GS1 standards can play a crucial role.
Ensuring robust identification
One of the key focuses of the Green Paper is improving the accuracy and accessibility of product information. The consultation acknowledges that, too often, construction products are placed on the market without clear, verifiable data about their safety, performance and intended use. This lack of standardised information has contributed to unsafe materials being installed in buildings, sometimes with devastating consequences.
To combat this, the Government is proposing stricter requirements for how product data is recorded and shared.
This aligns closely with GS1 UK’s approach to product identification and standardised data management. By assigning a unique GS1 identifier such as the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to each product, businesses can ensure that every item is clearly distinguished and linked to reliable data.
These identifiers can be embedded in barcodes, RFID tags, or QR codes, allowing key information—such as material composition, fire resistance ratings and regulatory certifications—to be instantly accessible across the supply chain. A structured identification system allows manufacturers, suppliers and regulators to quickly verify compliance, minimising misinformation and misrepresentation.
Enhancing transparency with Digital Product Passports
As part of the proposed reforms, there is growing recognition of the need for Digital Product Passports (DPPs). A Digital Product Passport is a structured digital record that contains detailed, real-time information about a product’s lifecycle, compliance and sustainability credentials.
The push for DPPs aligns with the EU’s wider regulatory agenda, which seeks to improve sustainability and accountability across industries. By integrating DPPs into construction, firms can future-proof their operations while ensuring compliance with both UK and international regulations.
GS1 standards provide the essential interoperability required to unlock the full potential of DPPs, ensuring secure and efficient information-sharing across global supply chains. By integrating QR codes powered by GS1 and GTINs, construction businesses can seamlessly link product identification with accurate, up-to-date compliance and performance information while also ensuring it is readily available to regulators, suppliers and end users.
GS1 data carriers such as QR codes powered by GS1 could offer the perfect solution for enabling electronic access to DPP data, allowing stakeholders across the supply chain to easily capture and share product attributes as well as information relating to events and transactions that have occurred throughout the product’s lifecycle.
This level of transparency not only supports regulatory compliance but also helps construction firms improve efficiency, reduce waste and enhance sustainability reporting which is rapidly becoming a growing priority for the industry.
Strengthening oversight of testing and certification
The Green Paper outlines plans to tighten controls on product testing and certification, ensuring that only materials that have passed rigorous, transparent testing procedures are used in construction.
GS1 standards can play a key role in ensuring the integrity of certification data. By linking test results and certification details to a product’s unique identifier, businesses can create a verifiable, tamper-proof digital record of compliance. This means that any claims about a product’s safety and performance can be easily verified by regulators, buyers and construction professionals, rebuilding trust in the sector and supporting the Government’s aim of improving accountability.
Improving supply chain traceability and sustainability reporting
A key focus of the Green Paper is enhancing supply chain traceability. The Government is committed to ensuring construction businesses have full visibility into where their materials come from, how they’re made, and whether they meet environmental and safety standards.
GS1 standards provide a crucial framework for tracking construction products at every stage of the supply chain. By implementing GS1 powered traceability systems, companies can meet sustainability regulations by monitoring the environmental impact of their materials. These systems also help businesses manage risks more effectively by quickly identifying and isolating non-compliant or defective products and support circular economy initiatives by facilitating the reuse and recycling of materials.
With stricter sustainability regulations on the horizon, having a robust traceability system will be essential for companies striving to stay ahead of compliance requirements and demonstrate their commitment to responsible practices.
How GS1 UK is supporting the industry
With these reforms set to reshape the sector, GS1 UK is committed to helping industry navigate this rapidly evolving landscape. By adopting global data standards, businesses can achieve compliance more efficiently and gain a competitive edge in an increasingly regulated industry.
The Construction Products Reform Green Paper represents a crucial step towards building a safer, more transparent and more accountable construction sector. These reforms bring new regulatory pressures, but they also offer businesses a chance to modernise, lead in responsible practices and gain a competitive edge by adopting smarter, more sustainable solutions.
