RE:SHAPE

Europe produces millions of tonnes of plastic waste every year, and the rules around it are tightening fast. The EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) applies since August 2026 and will require 10 to 35 percent post-consumer recycled content in packaging from 2030. The EU export ban on plastic waste to non-OECD countries keeps that waste in Europe. Plastic levies of several hundred euros per tonne on non-recycled packaging are on the table.

The catch: the market cannot tell real recyclate from fake. Imports declared as "recycled" are routinely blended with virgin plastic, and there is no reliable way to check. Honest European recyclers who collect, sort and document properly lose on price against material that merely claims to be recycled. The result is the opposite of what the regulation intends, fewer recycling capacities, not more.

Batch-level traceability. Instead of system-wide mass balancing, RE:SHAPE follows the physical batch: weighing data, process data and energy consumption are captured at the recycling plant, on the equipment that is already there. A cryptographic proof of each batch record is anchored on an energy-efficient blockchain, so it can be verified by parties who do not trust each other, without exposing plant data. The chain follows the European traceability standards for plastics recycling (EN 15343, ISO 22095).

CO₂ emissions tracking. From the same batch data, an ISO 14067 conformant method calculates the carbon footprint of the recyclate and the emissions avoided versus virgin material, roughly 1.4 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of polyethylene. That reduction is attributed to the material as a Scope 3 insetting credit, so the company using the recyclate can book it in its own sustainability reporting, with double counting ruled out by design.

A seal for the shelf. Phase two brings the proof to consumers: a label comparable to FSC for wood, printed on the packaging, that opens the origin of the plastic inside via QR code, down to the plant and the batch. The standard will be published openly so any recycler can adopt it.

RE:SHAPE brings together the parties that usually never share a data set: two recycling plants that produce the material, a certification specialist that turns plant data into verified CO₂ figures, a blockchain partner that anchors the proof, and EXECUTE as consortium lead building the business model and the software.

RE:SHAPE started as an EXECUTE research question in 2026: can proof of origin become the thing that pays for itself? The consortium is now assembled, letters of intent are signed, and the project is being prepared for public circular-economy funding. The planned 24-month programme builds and audits the proof chain at both plants first, then takes the seal to a real packaging on a real shelf.

If you produce, process or buy recycled plastic and want to be part of the pilot, talk to us.