Paccor looks to boost recycle rates with digital barcode technology

The innovation enables the correct identification of each package throughout the value chain. The company said this is the first time it is possible to differentiate between food and non-food packaging and to achieve high-quality sorting.

“We want to close the material loop by enabling full recyclability of our products. Therefore we have set ourselves the goal of minimizing packaging waste, conserving resources and saving energy wherever possible,”​ said Andreas Schuette, CEO of Paccor.

Paccor said currently, 50% of plastic ends up in the residual waste by mistake, which is burned without being sorted. The problem, Paccor said, is food-grade packaging does not present itself properly when it ends up in a reusable material stream.

Based on the digital barcode technology provided by Digimarc Corporation, Paccor introduced a solution allowing customers to use the Digimarc Barcode directly on the surface of rigid plastic packaging without any extra marking like labels or direct print.

The code can provide consumers and disposal companies with information about the packaging – anytime. Paccor said this means even if the packaging ends up in the residual waste by mistake, the scanner in the recycling plant is capable of correcting the error.

It said resources could be conserved, recycling promoted and C0₂ emissions reduced in the future.

“For the first time, waste with digital identity enables us to sort packaging efficiently. For example, the scanner in the sorting system recognizes whether a container was used for food or non-food products, sorts all colored packaging – including black – or receives information on whether the reusable material can be recycled or composted. And multi-layer packaging can also be professionally separated and recycled,”​ Nicolas Lorenz, chief commercial officer at Paccor said.

The Digimarc Platform is a principal technology of the cross-value chain initiative ‘HolyGrail 2.0’ to improve sorting and recycling rates for packaging in the European Union (EU). The HolyGrail 2.0 leadership team includes brands involved in food and consumer products manufacturing and distribution. More than 85 cross-industry companies and organizations have signed up to be participants in the next stages of pilots and industrial-scale demonstrations towards commercialization.

“We are excited to work closely with Paccor to deliver a technical solution to industry that will increase the quality and quantity of recyclate that would otherwise go to landfill or incineration. Together we are demonstrating how ‘one way’ becomes ‘circular’,”​ Larry Logan, chief evangelist at Digimarc said.

Paccor is the first packaging manufacturer to apply Digimarc Barcodes to commercially available rigid plastic packaging surfaces.

“In cooperation and with the aim of taking full responsibility for the materials – even after​

consumption – we would like to encourage all decision-makers and all companies along the value chain to get involved and make it commercially viable. Only what is openly available will change the world,”​ Schuette said.