PepsiCo, Ferrero and Mondelēz International are the major contributors to HolyGrail 2030 current project, which will check the smart sorting and recycling of polypropylene snack packaging into new food packaging. The project focuses on using digital watermarks and progressive recycling to show that food-grade recycled polypropylene drawn from flexible packaging is environmentally, technically, and economically feasible. Current recycling approaches cannot distinguish between flexible non-food packaging and food packaging, the partners describe. This leaves no approved route for recovering recycled, flexible polypropylene for use in food packaging.
Even in arrangement centres that presently make use of infrared cameras, robots, and other developed technologies, the collaborators assert that several packages cannot be optimally identified and still end up in the incorrect flow. Classifying between food and non-food packaging is also an important part. In response, the project focuses on creating a new resource flow and aligning with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which necessitates that food packaging comprises at least 10% recycled resources by 2030, an expectation set to be particularly challenging for flexible polypropylene.
It arises from the current HolyGrail 2030 project, which is enabled by AIM, the European Brands Association; this international association focuses on showing the business value of digital watermarking, driving its acceptance at scale, and generating new, elevated-quality post-consumer recyclate flows. Other project partners comprise Fost Plus, Pladis, Hündgen Entsorgung, Pellenc ST and Digimarc. Flexible polypropylene packaging for food and snacks is presently being printed with a digital watermark and spread throughout the Belgian industry via the normal channels. Once accumulated in the PMD bag, the bag undergoes sorting assessments at Hündgen Entsorgungs facility in Swisstal, Germany; specific cameras will identify the digital watermark and necessarily distinct food and non-food packaging.
Beginning in Q4 2026, the food polypropylene stream will experience testing via several advanced recycling technologies. The colleagues plan to turn the recyclates into new coverings between December 2026 and January 2027, checking their appropriateness for lasting packaging applications. The recyclates and coverings will also be assessed for conformity with European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) guidelines from Q1 2027. Ultimately, the findings will be announced in the HolyGrail 2030 Final Report next year. This will incorporate perceptions into sorting effectiveness, the recyclates appropriateness for food packaging, and its economic viability.
Fost Plus plans to undertake its assessment and judgment next year, with complete execution currently scheduled for 2029. The project will occur in Belgium, allegedly making it the first country to supervise a large-scale field test with flexible packaging that is declared in the industry and utilized by businesses. This will test whether the technology runs in actual-world circumstances, where the packaging can be crumpled, soiled, or harmed in use.
The previous year, Packaging Europe brand director Tim Sykes spoke to AIM Margherita Trombetti, Mondelēz Richard Akkermans, and Arla Foods Grane Maaløe on the Packaging Europe podcast. Collectively, they considered the final industrial-scale tests of the progressed sorting platform last stage, HolyGrail 2.0, and the expected development of HolyGrail 2030. At that instance, the modern industrial-scale sorting hearings were expressed to exceed a recognition efficacy of over 90% and a daily recognition rate of approx. 56,000 products of post-household rigid packaging. Company owners like Mondelēz, Arla Foods, and Procter & Gamble contributed to the trials, stating to have developed their SKUs with digital watermarks.
The HolyGrail project is evolving waste handling by implanting digital watermarks onto packaging. By allowing sorting features to recognize resources with around 90% accuracy, it fills the gap between packaging structure and a circular economy. The accuracy of this technology offers a straightforward pathway for companies and retailers to fulfil the recycled matter and traceability requirements set by the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). By accepting universal standards such as the GS1 GTIN for packaging IDs, the sector is generating an open ecosystem that adopts interoperability and partnership between machine vendors, retailers, and recyclers.
The recyclable packaging market is forecasted to expand from USD 34.73 billion in 2026 to USD 53.42 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2026 to 2035.
The packaging, which is made up of materials that can be recycled, is recyclable. There is a huge demand for recyclable packaging due to the rising innovation in this industry. The capacity of the packaging to gather and go through various steps to get into a raw form to produce new packaging. The increasing awareness initiatives of the governmental bodies have raised the demand for this sector. The rising innovation in the recycling infrastructure has raised the demand for this process. It will encourage industries to plan strong and easy-to-recycle packaging.
The flexible packaging market is expected to increase from USD 338.44 billion in 2026 to USD 511.69 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% throughout the forecast period from 2026 to 2035.
With the integration of AI, this industry has grown significantly due to its enhanced reliability. These are widely accepted by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care sectors. It helps in extending the shelf life of the products, which has fuelled the development of this industry. The major advancements and innovations in this industry have raised the demand for it among consumers. The presence of strict packaging guidelines and increasing transportation services has encouraged the growth of this sector profoundly.
Mondelēz International is a multinational food and snacking company, and its headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois. With a yearly revenue of around $39 billion, it employs nearly 80,000 people and operates in more than 150 countries, which is making it the worlds largest producer of candy, biscuits, chocolate, and gum.
Pepsi is a universally renowned carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo, which is the worlds largest food & beverage corporation. It is well-known for its iconic blue branding and sweet, cola-flavoured taste, and it has been a key cultural prime and the major competitor to Coca-Cola for more than a century.
Ferrero is an Italian multinational confectioner and is considered the third-largest chocolate and confectionery corporation across the globe. It was established in Alba, Italy, in 1946, and it is well-known for iconic universal brands such as Kinder, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Tic Tac. The corporation works universally in more than 170 countries.
31 July 2026
30 July 2026
30 July 2026
30 July 2026