POLYPROBLEM report: The Circularity Code

Do waste handlers and recyclers have a digital future? KNOWING WHAT’S COMING We have the technology, but no business model Proceed with caution if you believe the myth of Germany as the world’s recycling champion. More than half of the plastic waste that consumers separate and collect and that is then sent to sorting plants still ends up in an incinerator. At the same time, the industry is hungry for high-quality recyclates. Developing digital solutions to get us out of this dilemma just may be the holy grail. “High-quality reusables require clean material flows. But the only way to get there is through improved household waste sorting,” says Carsten Bertram, head of the Packaging Sustainability department at Henkel. Alongside many other large businesses, the consumer goods group is part of the HolyGrail 2.0 initiative. Its rather swanky name hints at the attempt to incorporate digital watermarks into packaging materials as they contain a wealth of information, from the material’s composition to instructions for sorting and recycling options. If, in line with their vision, the technology catches on widely, sorting facilities will be able to read the digital watermark and ensure a much more accurate material input for recycling thanks to improved separation. The 12

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