-Results of the Canadian Circular Plastics Taskforce pilot project confirm that Digimarc Recycle improves the classification of flexible packaging

BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Digimarc Corporation (Nasdaq: DMRC), a world leader in product digitization, announces positive results from a Canadian recycling pilot project evaluating the effectiveness of Digimarc Recycle in improving recycling sorting.

The project, the first in North America, evaluated the effectiveness of Digimarc Recycle in optimizing the sorting of flexible plastic packaging in Canada and was carried out in collaboration with the Circular Plastics Taskforce (CPT), participating converters and Pellenc ST.

The CPT aims to promote projects to improve the recycling of all plastic packaging within the evolving Extended Producer Responsibility (RAP) landscape in Quebec, and in Canada in general. The objective of the evaluations was to provide a first-hand view of the sorting performance of the CPT components, as well as an observation of the performance in the mixed wastes that are characteristic of Canadian conditions.

Detection and classification accuracy was 99% for films and flexes that meet the improvement guidelines established by Digimarc. Surprisingly, the results show consistent behavior regardless of the type of material used, the form factor, or the type of mixed waste. The CPT concluded that Digimarc's technology works to classify films and flexibles accurately and efficiently at the SKU level (deterministic). As of 2023, the CPT intends to implement the technology in the facilities to allow the separation of the flexible ones by attributes, which will allow the creation of new final markets.

"These results further confirm what has been validated in other programs: Digimarc Recycle is exceedingly effective at improving recycling sorting accuracy and provides material sorting capability that current optical sorting technology cannot," Riley said. McCormack, CEO of Digimarc. "Canadian provinces have ambitious goals and a clear commitment to action. We are excited by the opportunity to support CPT in executing their vision for advanced plastic recycling in Canada."

Large-scale grading evaluations using Digimarc technology have been carried out in the last year, most notably as part of HolyGrail 2.0, a cross-sector initiative in Europe driven by AIM - European Brands Association and empowered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Although these evaluations have increased in complexity and challenge, the results measuring detection rates, sort rates, and purity levels have remained constant and extremely high.

About the Circular Plastics Taskforce (CPT)

The objective of the CPT is to promote the implementation of a circular economy for post-consumer plastics in Québec and Canada. The CPT aims to improve the alignment between the needs of the final markets for recycled resins and the recycling value chain, identifying and applying specific optimization solutions that can be deployed in the short and medium term. Members of the CPT steering committee are Cascades, Danone Canada, Dyne-a-pak, Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, TC Transcontinental, the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC), and Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ). For more details on CPT, visit www.gapc.ca.

About Pellenc ST

France-based Pellenc ST is a leading manufacturer of smart sorting equipment and connected services to promote the circular economy. Pellenc optical sorters work all over the world, both in material recovery facilities and recycling facilities, and their main technology is based on in-house spectroscopy solutions to recognize materials and colours. Pellenc is interested in developing combinations with new technologies such as Digimarc Recycle, in order to address new sorting challenges with optimal performance.

About Digimark

Digimarc is a world leader in the digitization of products, providing business value across industries through unique identifiers and cloud-based solutions. A trusted partner in deterring global currency digital counterfeiting for over 20 years, Digimarc reveals a product's journey to provide intelligence and promote a prosperous, safer and more sustainable world. With Digimarc, you can finally see everything. And when everything is seen, anything can be achieved. For more information, visit us at digimarc.com.

About Digimarc Recycle

Digimarc Recycle represents a revolution in the classification, and therefore in the recycling, of plastic waste. By linking covert digital watermarks (used to deterministically identify plastic packaging at any desired level of granularity) with an extensible cloud-based repository of product attributes (such as brand, SKU, product variant, packaging composition, food or non-food use, etc.), Digimarc Recycle overcomes the limitations of current optical sorting technologies to drive a step change in the quality and quantity of recycled material. In addition, the same information used to drive this advanced on-premises classification can be used to provide product-specific, location-based disposal instructions through a branded digital communication channel, accessed via trademarks. water in containers or QR codes.

In addition to providing the information needed to drive advanced sorting both at collection and at the facility, Digimarc Recycle captures and provides a holistic view of the product journey after purchase, benefiting stakeholders across the value chain. . Producer responsibility organizations can design and implement more meaningful and accurate EPR schemes, facility operators can unlock operational efficiencies and insights, and brand owners and retailers can access data to drive improvements in design for recyclability. , reductions in packaging use, insights into consumer behavior and overall operating profit.

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