Waste Reduction
Independent research National Test centre Circular Plastics (NL), Danone, Colgate Palmolive, Ferrero, LVMH Recherche, Mars, Incorporated, Michelin, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Ghent University (B) and Radboud University (NL) have launched the Perfect Sorting project with the aim of improving packaging waste sorting through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
As key stakeholders of the value chain, the members consider it is their role to lead the way in co-developing this AI decision model and making it available to the market. The consortium members will also make use of an open innovation approach, preventing a potential technology lock-in.
The unique feature of this project is its composition as nine brand-owners, an independent test & research centre and two universities are part of the consortium. Together they combine a strong expertise in eco-design, packaging waste sorting and recycling as well as AI programming.
“ The consortium members will also make use of an open innovation approach ” NTCP will test a wide range of packaging products provided by the brand-owners using their own flexible and modular sorting line with industrial equipment. These assessments will be used to further develop the packaging sorting model of the University of Ghent. NTCP, together with the universities of Ghent and Radboud will develop an AI decision model to detect, identify and classify packaging beyond the current sorting streams. The consortium members also aim to involve different technology providers and waste management companies during the course of the project.
Plastic recovery and recycling struggling to keep pace with volume of waste Analysis of DEFRA statistics on plastic packaging waste reveals that while rates of recovery and recycling are improving, the total volumes of plastic packaging that is not being recovered or recycled is not being reduced. The analysis from Nozama, the global sustainability technology company and creator of Plastics, found that 1.306 million tonnes of plastic packaging were neither recycled or recovered in the UK in 2020.
SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING NEWS
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