Grantee Research Project Results
Digital Verification of Percentage Recycled Content in Individual Products to Advance Plastic Circularity
EPA Contract Number: 68HERC24C0007Title: Digital Verification of Percentage Recycled Content in Individual Products to Advance Plastic Circularity
Investigators: Robberson, William
Small Business: Kamilo, Inc.
EPA Contact: McIntyre, Brandon
Phase: II
Project Period: October 17, 2023 through October 16, 2025
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II (2024) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
The extraction and processing of raw materials account for nearly half of global emissions, placing an urgent focus on material recovery and recycling as essential for the slowing of climate change and establishing a circular economy. Robust measurement and tracking of waste plastic resources is essential to prove that plastic circularity works, raise the value of plastic waste as a reusable commodity and build trust in and improve the recycling system. Kamilo’s geospatial technology platform for real-time tracking, verification, analysis and management of waste plastic supply chains brings the consistent measurement methodologies needed to measure recycling system performance, track circularity and measure climate progress. In Phase I, Kamilo successfully developed and tested an innovative approach to track, calculate and verify the percentage of recycled content used in new plastic products, and the means to present this information on products with a Kamilo “TrustMark” verification label. One of Kamilo’s key technology innovations includes the development of propriety APIs (Application Program Interfaces), which enable real-time data exchange between a Kamilo client’s automated manufacturing machinery and the Kamilo Technology Cloud Platform, providing Kamilo with the ability to calculate the percentage recycled content in each individual product and manage application of the Kamilo “TrustMark” label. During Phase I, Kamilo validated the technical feasibility and its technology’s operation and value in partnership with a pilot project participant in the plastic waste recycling industry. Kamilo tracked, calculated, and verified the percentage of recycled plastic feedstock content used in 2,106 new items, the Kamilo “TrustMark” was hot stamped on each product, and client feedback has confirmed an exciting product/market fit for Kamilo’s solution. The commercial applications and end-users are significant – Kamilo’s corporate targets number approximately 25,000 in North America with an estimated addressable market of USD $2B. Additionally, Kamilo’s geospatial traceability service and TrustMark can support regulatory drivers such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and minimum recycled content mandates taking effect across the U.S. Kamilo’s waste plastic tracking, percent recycled content verification and TrustMark label performance compared to current technologies is transformative – today’s corporate self-certification of PCR (Post Consumer Resin) use is unreliable and the current 3rd party analog audit/certification methods are time-consuming, outdated, error- prone and easy to manipulate. Net environmental benefits of greenhouse gases avoided by using recycled plastic feedstock in place of virgin, plastic pollution prevented, and landfill space saved are automatically calculated from Kamilo data.
SBIR Phase I:
Digital Verification of Percentage Recycled Content in Individual Products to Advance Plastic Circularity | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.