Reïnkarneer: The foundation for reliable data on recycled materials

Why this matters

The use of recycled content is no longer optional, it is becoming a business and regulatory necessity. Yet in practice, adoption remains limited. Structural barriers include:

• No consistent way to characterise recycled materials
• Lack of transparency in quality and origin
• Rising geopolitical pressure on resources
• Dumping of low‑cost virgin plastics
• Growing demand for verifiable data
• Tightening European legislation

Without clear definitions and shared standards, applying recycled content remains complex, risky, and often not commercially viable.

The project Reïnkarneer changes this by making recycled content understandable, comparable and trustworthy, for everyone in the value chain.

Who we are and what we do

Reïnkarneer is a collaborative innovation project in which industry, knowledge institutes and government bodies work together. Co‑funded by the European Union, the project brings partners across the value chain together to develop a shared system for describing, assessing and applying recycled content.

Three essential building blocks are being developed:

• Standardised material characterisation
• A uniform coding and naming system
• Digital Product Passports (DPPs) capturing properties, origin and recommended applications

Together, these components form a shared language that enables industry to scale up high‑quality recycling and reuse. First for plastics, and later for metals, minerals and biogenic materials.

The project combines literature research, material analysis, AI‑driven modelling, and crucially, practical use cases. By working with real materials and real industrial partners, the system becomes immediately applicable and recognisable.

TNO’s contribution

TNO provides the technological backbone of Reïnkarneer.
We bring in:

• Machine‑learning‑based quality assessment using RecyQMeter
• Expertise in circular plastics and material modelling
• Advanced sensor and inline characterisation technologies
• Data‑processing methods linked to Digital Product Passports

With these capabilities, TNO helps determine recyclate quality reliably and identifies the highest‑value applications supporting smarter design, processing and reuse across the chain.

Looking ahead

After completion, we provide a scalable framework for any material stream. It directly supports European policy developments such as the EU Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the upcoming Digital Product Passport (ESPR) requirements.

Future steps include upscaling prototypes, industrial implementation across sectors, and expanding the shared language to additional value chains. This positions regions and companies for faster innovation, better resource efficiency, and more competitive circular business models.

Get involved

Whether you are a recycler, material producer, designer, policymaker, waste processor, or manufacturing company, your insights matter.

Interested in joining a use case? Or curious how we can support CSRD‑ready data or product development? We’re happy to explore opportunities with you.