Will packaging soon have a "?passeport recycling numérique?"?? This is the wish of the European Trademark Association (ETA), which has just launched the HolyGrail 2.0 project with 88 companies and organisations in the packaging sector.
The aim of this project is to facilitate and improve the recycling rate of packaging in the European Union through digital watermarking technology.
Digital watermarks are imperceptible codes, the size of a postage stamp, that are affixed to the surface of consumer goods packaging. They can contain a whole range of information such as the origin of the product, the name of the manufacturer, the type of material used and the composition of the multilayers, whether the container is food safe or not, etc. The watermarks can also be used to identify the product.
Packaging detected by a camera and sorted automatically
The aim of the project is that the packaging, once in a waste sorting centre, will be detected and decoded by high-resolution camera thanks to the digital watermark. Once detected it could be sorted automatically on the sorting line according to its attributes.
According to the AIM, such a system would make it possible to obtain more precise sorting flows, and therefore better recycling. The quality of recycled materials would be improved. It is in line with the EU's European targets for a circular economy.
This "recycling ?passeport numérique?" can also be used to provide information to the consumer and strengthen the traceability of the articles.
