Digital Product Passport for Plastic Waste Traceability
Sector: Secondary sector · Industry: Plastics industry · Organisation: Circularise, AMITA Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, J-CEP · Maturity level: Pilot
A blockchain-based system for complete traceability of plastic waste throughout the entire recycling process. The system addresses the lack of transparency in plastic recycling by creating digital product passports that document every processing step. Circularise received 1.5 million euros in EU funding to further develop this technology for creating sustainable plastic supply chains.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence high
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Circularise was founded in 2016 in The Hague with the aim of accelerating the circular economy through blockchain transparency. The company received seed funding of 1.5 million euros in 2019. The core system: every plastic stream receives a digital product passport — from the raw material source through all processing steps to the end product or recycling.
Circularise addresses a fundamental market problem: the proportion of recycled materials in products is hardly verifiable for customers and regulators. Recycled content claims are often unsubstantiated. Circularise’s solution: each batch of plastic is registered as a digital twin on the blockchain. The patented Smart Questioning technology enables companies to make verified statements (e.g. 40% recycled content, carbon footprint X kg) without disclosing proprietary data. Collaborations: EuPC (European Plastics Converters, 3,300+ members) uses Circularise for Europe-wide recycled content monitoring; Covestro integrates Circularise into its sustainability reporting; Porsche and Borealis (Startup Autobahn 2020); SABIC for Scope 3 tracking. EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) relevance: The EU mandates DPPs for various product categories — Circularise is positioned as infrastructure for plastic-based DPPs. EU Packaging Regulation: minimum recycled content in packaging from 2030 requires verified evidence.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Plastic manufacturers, brands and packaging companies can document verified recycled content and the carbon footprint of their materials via Circularise — for EU DPP compliance, CSRD reporting and premium market differentiation.
B2C — consumers perspective
Consumers can trace the origin and recycling history of their plastic products through QR codes or apps. This builds trust in the quality of recycled products and supports conscious purchasing decisions for sustainable alternatives.
Employees perspective
Employees in recycling companies must learn new digital documentation processes and adjust their workflows accordingly. At the same time, new roles arise in digital quality control and data analysis for sustainable material flows.
Benefits
General
- Seamless documentation and tracking of plastic waste throughout the entire recycling process creates trust and transparency.
- Immutable blockchain entries prevent manipulation of quality and origin data.
- Standardised digital product passports enable more efficient communication between all actors in the recycling chain.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can achieve premium prices for demonstrably high-quality recycled materials and more easily meet regulatory requirements.
B2C — consumers
- Consumers gain greater confidence in recycled products through traceable origin and quality information.
Employees
- Employees receive clear digital tools for quality documentation and can better demonstrate and optimise their work.
Challenges
General
- The scalability of the blockchain solution for large volumes of plastic waste has not yet been fully tested.
- All actors in the recycling chain must be willing to invest in new technologies and adapt their processes.
B2B — organisations
- Companies must make significant investments in new IT systems and training before they can benefit from the advantages.
Employees
- Employees must learn new digital skills and get used to changed workflows.
Technology foundation
The system uses a proprietary blockchain solution from Circularise, specifically developed for material traceability. The technology enables secure data sharing along the supply chain while protecting sensitive business information through Smart Questioning technology.
Implementation examples
European Plastics Recycling Platform MORE
The European plastics industry requires standardised procedures for documenting recycling processes in order to meet regulatory requirements and build trust with customers. Without demonstrable transparency, companies cannot benefit from premium prices for high-quality recyclates.
Development of a digital blockchain platform to monitor plastic recycling activities in Europe.
The European Plastics Converters association (EuPC) is collaborating with Circularise, Covestro and Domo Chemicals to develop the MORE platform (Monitoring Recyclates for Europe). This blockchain-based platform aims to standardise the monitoring and documentation of recycling activities in the European plastics industry. The platform will be tested in the coming months with stakeholders from the plastics value chain and is intended to establish a new standard for transparent recyclate documentation.
The project addresses the problem of lacking standardisation in recyclate documentation and creates a shared platform for all actors in the plastics value chain. Blockchain technology prevents manipulation of quality data and builds trust among partners.
Tags
Traceability, Circular economy, Sustainability, Recycling, Supply chain