RFID-based track-and-trace system
Digitally sorted, sustainably developed
Around 90,000 tons of packaging waste are separated into 13 different waste streams at Veolia's highly automated sorting plant in Ochtendung, Rhineland-Palatinate. To test the sortability of new packaging under real conditions, Circpack relies on an RFID-based track-and-trace system from Turck Vilant Systems.
Packaging waste, which has been collected by the dual systems in Germany since 1993, ends up in waste sorting plants such as the one in Ochtendung near Koblenz. The waste disposal company Veolia sorts 90,000 tons of packaging waste every year in this highly automated sorting plant. Packaging that citizens dispose of in yellow bags and garbage cans is separated into a total of 13 different material streams, including the main streams of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), both as film and solid packaging, as well as metal and paper.
In the first sorting step, rotating screen drums separate packaging parts from the main stream based on their size. At the end, all the material that falls through the last 3 x 3 centimeter screen openings is not sorted any further and is sent for thermal recycling, i.e. incineration. In the further sorting process, near-field infrared sensors (NIR) detect different types of plastic and fiber packaging. Magnets and eddy current separators remove ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and so-called air separators remove light films by suction.
Circpack by Veolia wants to steadily increase the proportion of recyclable packaging. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been in force since February 2025, which aims to reduce the volume of waste with various measures - on the one hand through recyclable materials and on the other through waste avoidance by making reuse mandatory in certain areas.
Automated RFID-supported tests improve informative value
David Wardle was looking for a solution that would allow the packaging to be automatically tracked through the sorting system and thus provide increasingly reliable data. His idea was to use RFID. "I had the idea, but not the technology," recalls Wardle. "So we were looking for a partner who was not only familiar with RFID, but could also make this technology work reliably in a harsh environment like a sorting plant." Through contact with Avery Dennison, Circpack came to Turck Vilant Systems and was quickly convinced. Together, they developed a set-up that today consists of nine readers and 32 antennas distributed across the entire sorting plant.
For Circpack's customers - mainly major brand manufacturers - the system is a ground-breaking innovation. It demonstrates their commitment to improving the recyclability of packaging. The results of the tests are incorporated into certifications, for example from RecyClass. They help manufacturers to improve their packaging - and to meet legal requirements.
Scaling and further development
The system in Ochtendung is unique so far, but that is set to change. "We want to roll it out - in other plants, in other countries," says the environmental engineer. "And we want to develop it further - with optimized tags, with greater reading accuracy, with more automation. In future, manufacturers will have to prove that their packaging is recyclable and, above all, sortable. Our system provides this proof - objectively, comprehensively and reliably."
What began as an idea is now a functioning test system under real conditions - and a showcase project for the entire industry. "We have proven that technological innovations can pave the way to a more circular economy," summarizes Circpack's test specialist David Wardle. "In Turck, we have found a partner that not only delivers, but thinks along with us and uses technology to make real change possible."
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