Predictive DfR Assessment MVP

Regulatory context and purpose

This MVP is an internal predictive Design for Recycling pre-assessment tool for flexible plastic packaging. It is intended to support early-stage packaging development before formal EU Design for Recycling delegated acts are adopted under Regulation (EU) 2025/40.

The tool uses deterministic internal demonstration criteria inspired by EN 18120-oriented logic to estimate whether a PE/PP-based flexible packaging structure is likely to remain robust under base, conservative and severe recyclability-risk scenarios.

Why this is useful before the 2028 DfR delegated acts

• PPWR already moves packaging portfolios towards recyclability-by-design.
• The European Commission is expected to establish detailed Design for Recycling criteria and recyclability performance grades through delegated acts by 1 January 2028.
• From 2030, packaging recyclability will be assessed through performance grades based on Design for Recycling criteria.
• Packaging teams can use predictive pre-assessment now to identify structural risks before design freeze, supplier qualification, industrial trials or external recyclability testing.

Flexible packaging scope

This demo focuses on flexible plastic packaging structures, especially PE/PP-based films and laminates used in chilled meat, processed meat, MAP, vacuum packaging, pouches, top webs, lidding films, flow-pack films, thermoforming films and barrier flexible packaging.

Limitations

This MVP does not provide EN 18120 certification, PPWR legal classification, recyclability grade A/B/C, third-party validation or physical recycling test results.

How the tool works and estimates the result

The assessment is deterministic and rules-based. It does not use artificial intelligence, document extraction or external certification data in this MVP version.

• Layer mass calculation: each layer is converted into mass per square metre using thickness and density: layer mass [g/m²] = thickness [µm] × density [g/cm³].
• Composition calculation: the tool adds all layer masses and declared components such as inks, adhesives, coatings, labels or unknown material. It then calculates the percentage contribution of each material family.
• Predominant polymer identification: the tool identifies the main structural polymer stream, normally PE or PP for this MVP scope.
• Internal demo rules: the structure is assessed against internal demonstration criteria covering target polymer content, EVOH, PA, PET, aluminium, unknown material, ink/adhesive/coating load and assessment-boundary completeness.
• Scenario modelling: the same structure is assessed under base, conservative and severe assumptions. Conservative and severe scenarios increase the burden of non-target or uncertain materials to test whether the design remains robust under less favourable assumptions.
• Confidence score: the tool estimates internal confidence from data completeness, evidence quality, scenario stability and assessment-boundary coverage.
• Development recommendation: the final recommendation translates the technical result into an early-stage development decision, such as continue development, continue with actions, develop alternative, redesign or obtain more data before decision.

The result is therefore a predictive technical estimate, not a measured recycling result. It is useful for comparing design options, identifying controlling risk factors and deciding whether a structure is mature enough to continue development before formal testing or external assessment.