Kenvue Partners With Greyparrot to Advance AI Technology and Accelerate the Circular Transformation of Medical Packaging

Healthcare giant Kenvue has partnered with Greyparrot to launch a global collaboration project, leveraging artificial intelligence technology to accelerate the development of packaging circularity.

On May 20th, both parties officially announced this collaboration, leveraging Greyparrot’s Deepnest intelligent platform to help Kenvue move beyond the theoretical level.Recyclable DesignThe concept is to establish an empirical basis for assessment based on measured data from an actual recycling system.

This collaborative project will empirically test the actual recycling and sorting performance of packaging from mainstream consumer brands such as Tylenol, Neutrogena, Listerine, Aveeno, and Band-Aid within large-scale commercial recycling and sorting facilities.

As industry regulations such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and extended producer responsibility schemes become increasingly stringent, accurately understanding the actual recyclability of products has shifted from a corporate development aspiration to a mandatory requirement directly affecting operating costs and day-to-day operations.

Break down the barriers between packaging design and practical recycling implementation.

Although many packaging categories are theoretically recyclable, their actual recycling and reuse rates are often unsatisfactory due to constraints such as material selection, structural design, labels and accessories, pump components, colorants and additives, and differences in local recycling infrastructure.

Deepnest Platform builds a digital simulation model of a real recycling system for Kenvue, leveraging artificial intelligence recognition technology to achieve three core functions:

Track the flow status of various types of packaging under its portfolio within mainstream operational recycling facilities in the UK and the US, and quantify sorting efficiency and actual processing compatibility.

Accurately identify the impact of subcomponents such as pump heads, labels, and material selection on material recognition rate and recycling efficiency, and explore optimization opportunities in packaging design.

Build a simulation and scenario planning environment to predict the cost changes and operational impacts of packaging structure adjustments before physical samples are put into production.

Build a global packaging circular ecosystem

This partnership with Kenvue marks another significant milestone in Greyparrot’s journey to build a global intelligent waste data platform for the circular economy. Its smart recycling technology has already been adopted by companies such as L’Oréal Group, Unilever, and McDonald’s.

David Lickstein, Kenvue’s Global Head of Packaging Innovation, Sustainability and User Experience, said: “To successfully achieve packaging circularity goals, companies cannot rely solely on idealized industry guidelines; they must base their strategies on real-world market testing data.”

"This collaboration with Greyparrot and the implementation of the Deepnest intelligent system marks a revolutionary concept in our research and development of sustainable packaging. Leveraging artificial intelligence waste intelligent assessment technology, we are no longer limited to basic data statistics; we can also conduct advanced scenario simulation analysis to quickly identify the most effective design improvement solutions, enabling us to implement innovative and environmentally friendly packaging solutions across our global product line at lower costs and higher efficiency."

Greyparrot's self-developed AI-powered analysis device can accurately capture key information, such as the color and shape of materials, on high-speed recycling sorting lines.

Set a new benchmark for reusable packaging in the industry

Greyparrot Co-founder Ambarish Mitra said that circular sustainable packaging has already become a mainstream global industry trend. “We are honored to partner with Kenvue to turn packaging design concepts into measurable environmental outcomes, helping the industry establish a new unified standard for packaging R&D, impact verification, and circular implementation.”

Yaseed Chaumoo, Director of Deepnest, a Greyparrot business unit, believes that AI-powered real-world data is reshaping the R&D model for sustainable packaging.

"This deep collaboration with Kenvue has long surpassed the realm of basic waste data statistics. The core is to leverage the predictive capabilities of the Deepnest platform to restore the complete scenario of material recycling in the real market," said Yaseed Chaumoo. "We are helping Kenvue to quickly implement feasible packaging optimization solutions based on accurate data, significantly reducing R&D costs and cycles, and fully promoting the entire industry’s accelerated transition to a mature circular economy model."