Collaboration is the way forward to achieve the EUвЂ™s circular economy goals.вЂќДigital watermarks are imperceptible codes, the size of a postage stamp, covering the surface of a consumer goods packaging.

вЂњIt is terrific to see such enthusiasm from across the industry and to be able to unite such expertise from the complete packaging value chain, from brand owners and retailers to converters, EPR schemes, waste management systems, recyclers and many more. вЂњThe 3 key ingredients here are innovation, sustainability and digital, combined to achieve the objective of the Green Deal towards a clean, circular and climate neutral economyвЂќ, outlines Michelle Gibbons, Director General at AIM. This will include the launch of an industrial pilot in order to prove the viability of digital watermarks technologies for more accurate sorting of packaging and higher-quality recycling, as well as the business case at large scale.

The branded goods industry has now stepped in to facilitate the next phase as cross-value chain initiative under the name вЂњHolyGrail 2.0вЂќ, which will take place on a much greater scale and scope. Digital watermarks were found to be the most promising technology, gathering support among the majority of stakeholders and passing a basic proof of concept on a test sorting line. The discovery was made under the New Plastics Economy programme of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which investigated different innovations to improve post-consumer recycling. Digital watermarks may have the potential to revolutionise the way packaging is sorted in the waste management system, as it opens new possibilities that are currently not feasible with existing technologies. One of the most pressing challenges in achieving a circular economy for packaging is to better sort post-consumer waste by accurately identifying packaging, resulting in more efficient and higher-quality recycling. Borealis is proud to be a member of this consortium. Under the auspices of AIM, the European Brands Association, over 85 companies and organisations from the complete packaging value chain have joined forces with the ambitious goal to assess whether a pioneering digital technology can enable better sorting and higher-quality recycling rates for packaging in the EU, to drive a truly circular economy. Image: Holy Grail 2.0 Watermark Reveal Visual

Visual watermark activation key machine