Digital Watermarking Systems

HolyGrail 2.0 is establishing digital watermarking as a game-changing technology in the global effort to close the loop on plastic packaging waste. Spearheaded by AIM and backed by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, the project demonstrated that this innovation can enable smarter, more precise sorting at industrial levels, supporting the transition to a truly circular economy.

During a 100-day pilot at a German material recovery facility, over 5.6 million digitally watermarked items were detected, showcasing accuracy levels of up to 93.8%. These marks, invisible to the human eye, allow rigid plastics to be sorted with unprecedented precision -- even under the messy, variable conditions of post-consumer waste streams. Brands like Procter & Gamble and Aldi participated, placing marked items into real-world recycling systems.

Looking ahead, the initiative is evolving into HolyGrail 2030, aiming to prove the economic value of this smart sorting technology.

Image Credit: