How to sign a family Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for multiple products

Last updated: August 17, 2026

A family DoC lets you sign one Declaration of Conformity and apply it to every product that uses the same packaging. In Coolset this is not a separate document type: you sign a DoC once on one product, then add the other products to it.

Coolset only offers the possibility of Family DoCs for products that contain the exact same combination of packaging types as the DoC covers. That restriction is what keeps the reused declaration compliant.

What a DoC covers in Coolset

A DoC in Coolset is always a combination of one product and one or more packaging types. That combination is what the declaration is valid for.

This is the key to reuse: another product can share your DoC only if it contains that same combination of packaging types. Coolset matches on the actual packaging type record in your workspace, not on packaging that looks similar or is named similarly.

Step 1: Set up shared packaging types

Reuse only works when packaging types are shared records used by several products. If you have created a separate packaging type for each product, its DoC cannot be reused anywhere.

To make reuse possible, create a single packaging type for packaging that is identical from a compliance point of view, and assign that one record to every product that uses it.

Packaging is identical when the specifications match: same material composition, same weight, same supplier. A different internal article number does not make packaging non-identical. Differing specifications do. If the material, weight or supplier differs, the packaging is not identical and needs its own DoC.

You can sign several DoCs under one product, so you can keep product-specific packaging records for your own reference and separately maintain a shared record for the packaging you want to reuse a DoC on.

Step 2: Sign the DoC once

Sign the DoC on one of the products, covering the packaging types the declaration applies to. You only do this once, the other products reuse this signed declaration rather than getting their own signing round.

For the full signing flow, see the article on signing a Declaration of Conformity.

📄 How to sign a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) in Coolset

Step 3: Add the other products to the signed DoC

There are two routes to the same screen. Use whichever fits how you are working.

From the declarations overview

  1. Go to PPWR > Declarations.

  2. Find the signed DoC and open it.

  3. Click Add products.

From the product

  1. Go to PPWR > Products and open the product that holds the signed DoC.

  2. Go to the Declarations section.

  3. Click Add products.

Both routes show the same list: every product that shares the same combination of packaging types as the DoC. Toggle on the products you want and confirm.

Each selected product now has its own DoC for that packaging combination. You do not sign or recreate anything. The original DoC stays in place on the product where you signed it, adding products does not overwrite or replace it.

How Coolset decides which products are eligible

Coolset lists a product when every packaging type on the DoC is also present on that product.

  • If the DoC covers one packaging type, Coolset lists every product using that packaging type.

  • If the DoC covers three packaging types, Coolset lists only products using all three.

  • Extra packaging types on the target product do not block the match. A product can carry additional packaging beyond what the DoC covers and still be eligible.

What blocks a match is a missing or different packaging type. A product that shares most of the packaging on the DoC but holds its own separate record for one component will not appear in the list.

When not to reuse a DoC

Reuse a DoC when the products share the same packaging type records, the conformity assessments on those packaging types are passing, and the packaging is identical in material, weight and supplier.

Sign separate DoCs in these cases:

  • The packaging differs in any specification. A difference in weight, material or supplier means different packaging. Weight is a reportable PPWR data point, so a size variant needs its own DoC even when everything else matches.

  • Supplier documentation is incomplete. If technical documentation for one packaging type has not arrived, sign single-product DoCs for what is ready and extend later.

  • A product carries an extra packaging element that changes the combination. For example, a promotional item attached to the packaging creates a combination other products in the range do not have.

What to keep in mind before you group

Grouping increases future revision work. PPWR obligations tighten over time, with recyclability grades and recycled content targets applying from 2030. When a requirement changes, a DoC covering many products has to be revised across all of them. Where you have the choice, a DoC per packaging type is the lower-maintenance option.

Map your packaging before you group. Deciding which packaging is genuinely identical is a compliance decision, not a platform setting. Confirm the specifications match before creating shared packaging types. Issuing single-product DoCs in the meantime costs nothing, reuse can be applied later without redoing signed DoCs.

FAQ

  1. How do I sign one DoC for multiple products? Sign the DoC once on one product, then open it via PPWR > Declarations or the Declarations section of that product, click Add products, tick the products and confirm.

  2. Why don't my other products appear when I click Add products? They do not contain the same combination of packaging types as the DoC. The most common cause is packaging entered as a separate record per product instead of once as a shared record. Create one shared packaging type and assign it to each product that uses it.

  3. Does the original DoC get replaced when I add products? No. The original stays on the product where you signed it, and each added product gets its own DoC for that packaging combination.

  4. Can I reuse a DoC on a product that has extra packaging types? Yes. Extra packaging on the target product does not matter. What matters is that all packaging types on the DoC are present on that product.

  5. Our packaging has different internal article numbers across products. Can it share one packaging type? Yes, if it is identical under the regulation: same material, same weight, same supplier. Different internal article numbers do not make packaging non-identical. Differing specifications do.

  6. Can I group products that use the same packaging in different sizes? No. Different sizes mean different weights, and weight is a reportable PPWR data point. Group only products whose packaging is identical in material, weight and supplier.

  7. Can one product have more than one DoC? Yes. You can sign several DoCs under one product, each covering a different packaging type or combination.

  8. When do I need to reissue a family DoC? When the conformity assessment result changes, most often because a supplier reports a material change. Update the technical documentation and sign a new DoC.