FILIGRADE SUSTAINABLE WATERMARKS BV

Their core work

FiliGrade develops and applies digital watermarking technology specifically designed for plastic packaging — invisible machine-readable codes embedded in plastic films that enable automated NIR (near-infrared) sorting of complex multilayer materials during the recycling process. Their core contribution to recycling consortia is providing the identification layer that makes otherwise unrecognizable multilayer laminates (blister packs, food films, laminate packaging) sortable and separable at industrial scale. They complement this with expertise in decontamination routes — including supercritical CO2 (scCO2) processing — to ensure recycled multilayer plastics meet food contact safety requirements under EFSA regulations. In practice, they bridge the gap between packaging producers and recyclers by giving each material type a traceable identity throughout its lifecycle.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both projects launched in the same year (2021), so the early-to-recent shift reflects a deepening of focus within a short period rather than a decade-long pivot. Early project framing emphasized materials science breadth — diverse multilayer substrates (PE, PP, PVC), multiple green solvent chemistries (ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents), and circular economy principles at a conceptual level. By the second project, the language sharpened considerably: NIR sorting, scCO2 decontamination, EFSA challenge tests, and plastics value yield — all terms that signal movement from exploratory research toward operational implementation and regulatory readiness. The trend is clear: FiliGrade is maturing from "we have a promising watermarking concept for plastics" toward "we can deliver a validated, regulation-compliant sorting and recycling system."

FiliGrade is moving toward deployment-ready recycling solutions — future collaborations will likely focus on industrial-scale integration of watermark-based sorting with food-grade recycled material certification.

How they like to work

FiliGrade has participated exclusively as a consortium partner — never as a project coordinator — which positions them as a specialist contributor brought in for a specific technology capability rather than a project orchestrator. Their two projects generated 19 unique partners across 8 countries, suggesting they work in mid-to-large consortia (roughly 9-10 partners each) typical of RIA grants. This pattern indicates they are sought out for their niche watermarking expertise rather than for project management or consortium-building roles.

FiliGrade has built a European network of 19 unique partners across 8 countries through just two projects — a notably high partner density for their project count. Their collaborations span at minimum the Netherlands and several other EU countries, suggesting connections across the full plastics value chain: packaging producers, recyclers, research institutes, and regulatory bodies.

What sets them apart

FiliGrade occupies a rare niche at the intersection of digital identification technology and physical plastics recycling — most recycling players focus on either chemistry or sorting equipment, but FiliGrade's watermarking approach addresses the information problem that makes multilayer plastics so difficult to sort in the first place. Their company name itself is a product claim: "FiliGrade" watermarks designed for sustainability, meaning their entire commercial identity is built around this single, defensible technology. For a consortium building a circular plastics project, they bring something that chemistry labs and sorting equipment manufacturers cannot replicate: the ability to encode material identity directly into packaging at production time.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Sol-Rec2
  Largest budget project (€525,250) and the broadest in scope — combining digital watermarks with green solvent delamination chemistry for multilayer packaging recovery, making it FiliGrade's most technically comprehensive engagement.
• CIMPA
  Specifically targets food-contact regulatory compliance (EFSA) for recycled multilayer films — a high-value, high-barrier application area that validates FiliGrade's technology against real commercial constraints.