PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL - Sorting for a circular future: How new technologies unlock new opportunities in paper-based packaging recycling. Susanne Haase, Program Director, 4evergreen - Paper Technology International 2026 - Book - Page 110

PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL - Sorting for a circular future: How new technologies unlock new opportunities in paper-based packaging recycling. Susanne Haase, Program Director, 4evergreen

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
The Next Frontier: From AI to Digital Watermarks
The industry is rapidly pivoting towards smart sorting
technologies designed to overcome the limitations of mechanical
and optical systems.
Arti昀椀cial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Learning
Leading companies are already integrating AI-driven
recognisers into sorting lines. Trained on thousands of
images, these systems can:
•
Identify packaging by shape, texture, print, or brand
•
Detect materials invisible to NIR
•
Improve accuracy in mixed or contaminated streams
•
Replace or support manual quality checks
AI doesn’t rely solely on spectral signatures. It “sees” the
packaging much like a human sorter would, offering a powerful
complement to traditional optical systems.
Digital Watermarking: A Quiet Revolution
Another promising innovation doesn’t rely on bigger
machines or sharper sensors; it comes in the form of invisible digital
watermarks printed across packaging surfaces, creating a persistent
information layer that travels with the product from production,
through use, and all the way to its end-of-life
These near-invisible codes contain detailed information
about the product: its material layers, recyclability stream, food/
non-food status, and more.
When scanned in high-speed MRFs:
•
Watermarks can precisely guide each pack to the
correct recycling stream.
•
Even complex FBCP could become reliably sortable.
•
False detections could drop dramatically.
This future-ready technology is already being piloted
internationally, with strong involvement from packaging
manufacturers and sorting-technology suppliers.
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Why Sorting Matters Now More Than Ever
Under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
(PPWR), achieving “recycled at scale” status requires that
materials be:
•
Separately collected
•
Reliably sorted using established technology
•
Recycled in operational facilities at signi昀椀cant volumes
To meet the 4evergreen key target of a 90% recycling
rate of paper-based packaging by 2030, each of these steps must
be aligned. Incorrect sorting doesn’t just reduce recycling rates,
but it affects the 昀椀bre quality available to paper mills, disrupts mill
operations, and increases environmental and economic costs across
the value chain.
Towards a Harmonised Sorting Protocol
Annex 4 of the 4evergreen Guidance highlights the need for
a uni昀椀ed testing framework applicable across equipment suppliers
and countries. Such a protocol could:
•
Assess how packaging behaves in real sorting plants
•
Establish minimum performance thresholds for
detection
•
Help designers ensure new packaging is sortable in
practice
Help unlock investment in new sorting infrastructureThis
would close the gap between design for circularity and actual
recyclability, ensuring packaging design innovations don’t outpace
the systems meant to process them.
The Bottom Line: A Smarter System for a Circular Economy
Europe’s recycling ecosystem is on the cusp of an exciting
transformation. While current mechanical and optical technologies
already process much of today’s paper-based packaging, ongoing
innovation is paving the way to ef昀椀ciently manage the increasingly
complex materials of the future. Without action, the result could
be more mis-sorted materials, reduced 昀椀bre yield and a slower
transition to circularity.
The good news?
AI, robotics, and digital
watermarking offer critical enablers
to transform sorting into a powerful
driver of recycling success, helping
to accelerate progress towards a
more sustainable future.
The members of the
4evergreen Alliance are committed
to ensuring that these opportunities
are translated into tangible progress
across Europe’s recycling systems.

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