Circularise has successfully developed a system of ensuring the sustainability and accountability of companies that produce ‘ecoplastics’.
In 2019, the start-ups Circularise, DOMO and Covestro announced a collaborative project for guaranteeing circularity in the plastics industry. The newly formed Circularise PLASTICS project group aims to set a standard for the sustainability and transparency of the circular economy.
With the support from the founding members Circularise has successfully developed the debut version of the platform, which is tailored to the plastics industry. Circularise is piloting the system and demonstrating it on the market in a production environment in early 2020.
Currently, the solution enables manufacturers to create a digital version of their materials based on verified documents. This enables them to prove the sustainability of their supply chain and to create reliability and trust with the consumer.
“We are now seeing more companies ranging from material producers to OEMs and brands show interest in creating an open standard for the industry. More players see the value of implementing new technologies to become more transparent, they also realise that it can’t be done alone,” said Mesbah Sabur, founder of Circularise.
What value does this add to the circular economy?
Supported by EIT RawMaterials, the start-up has already presented the standard to BASF and Stanley Black & Decker as part of their Circularity Challenge where Circularise was the only software company out of almost 100 competitors to become a finalist in the challenge.
“The value of having this standard developed by the industry, instead of just one or two companies is in avoiding a central powerful authority and giving equal rights to all participants,” says Thomas Nuyts, Director of Global Product Management at DOMO. Encouraging broad marketplace adoption, the Circularise PLASTICS is available to any organisation that manufactures, processes, recycles or uses plastics.
Depending on the position of parties in the value chain, there are different benefits that they can expect. “For material suppliers and processors, as well as moulders, Circularise PLASTICS´ participation means increased material value and trust in your production, by adding material passports to plastic resin, additives, colorants and any other materials produced.
“For OEMs and brand owners, it helps on the road to achieving sustainability targets and a strengthened brand position, by revealing a product’s origin and transparency on its environmental impact,” says Dr Burkhard Zimmermann, Head of Strategy, Sustainability and Digital, Covestro Polycarbonates.
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