An objective standard to assess recycled plastic quality

From subjective statements to a reliable benchmark

Determining the quality of recycled plastic and matching it to suitable applications has always been difficult. Quality statements are subjective and a recyclate that is high-quality for an application in automotive, may have poor quality in packaging.

RecyQMeter is a tool designed to solve this problem. It offers a reliable, standardised way to assess the quality of recycled plastics objectively and transparently and link them to suitable applications.

What the RecyQMeter does

The tool translates complex quality metrics - such as mechanical or optical properties - into a single, actionable indicator. Recyclers input the properties they have measured in the lab. The tool then compares these properties against a database of requirements for over 200 different applications, ranging from car battery cases to caps (figure 1). Based on this comparison, the tool generates a quality score between 0 and 1. A score closer to 1 indicates a higher quality, relative to the virgin material required for that particular application.

A marketplace for recyclates

Milad Golkaram, TNO’s leading scientist on this project, describes the tool as a transparent marketplace for recyclates. 'Recyclers share what kind of material they have, and end users put in the requirements they need. In this way, the tool helps recyclers find the right application for their recyclates. Furthermore, it allows them to fine-tune their material based on the requirements of the end-users.'

Benefits across the value chain

The RecyQMeter delivers measurable benefits throughout the plastics value chain:

• Better market positioning of recyclates
  The RecyQMeter assists recyclers in refining their materials and identifying markets where their recyclates offer genuine value and competitive advantage.
• LCA integration
  The tool calculates a 'substitution ratio', which indicates how much virgin material can be replaced based on the quality of the recyclate. LCA practitioners can use this single number directly in their environmental impact models.
• Accelerated circularity
  The tool increases market efficiency and enables material optimisation. It also supports faster and more reliable business decisions, which inherently accelerates the acceptance and use of recycled plastics.

Collaborative innovation

The RecyQMeter is built upon a successful partnership between TNO and the University of Maastricht. The tool’s underlying mathematics merge two complementary models. TNO’s QMRP-model (Quantifying plastic quality for a circular economy) includes elaborate aspects of quality.

The RQ-model (Recyclate quality model) developed by the University of Maastricht is highly accurate for mechanical properties. This partnership ensures the tool captures nuanced quality dimensions while maintaining predictive precision. The collaboration continues as we refine capabilities to serve evolving industry needs.

Precision compounding with RecyQMeter 2.0

The future RecyQMeter 2.0 aims to use machine learning to predict quality based on material composition, reducing the need for constant lab measurements. The predictive model enables compounders and converters to fine-tune additives and feedstock formulations with exactitude, ensuring materials meet precise specifications. This eliminates waste from over-specification or quality shortfalls, optimising both performance and economics.

Need for industry participation

The RecyQMeter's potential is substantial, but Milad realises it depends on industry participation. The central challenge lies in encouraging both recyclers and end-users to contribute data and share quality challenges. This is essential to refine the tool's accuracy and expand its versatility. Milad and his team have an ambitious goal: 'When the entire industry uses the RecyQMeter, ‘everybody speaks the same language’ for assessing recycled plastic quality.'

Join in to set the standard

We invite recyclers, compounders, converters and OEMs to partner with TNO in refining and standardising the RecyQMeter. Together, we can establish objective quality requirements for a circular plastics economy.

Contact us to learn more and to get access to the tool.