Proof of image: ZINQ

ZINQ, the surface treatment specialist, has been committed for many years to greater transparency throughout the value chain and provides its customers with structured product information in the form of Product Circularity Data Sheets (PCDS). This format was developed as part of a European initiative launched in 2018 under the leadership of the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy. As one of the first adopters, ZINQ made the prototype PCDS available internally, including via its own website and in direct customer communications, in order to present product circularity in a standardised manner and to promote quality-assured material cycles. At the end of 2025, the PCDS for duroZINQ, microZINQ and ecoZINQ were also listed on the digital sustainability platform TerraMatters.

TerraMatters is an open platform for product and material data, with a focus on the circular economy and sustainability. It enables users to find, analyse and digitally verify structured product information, thereby creating a shared database for manufacturers, users and partners.

Thanks to their listing on TerraMattters, the PCDS are centrally accessible and their validity can be checked digitally – for example, to verify whether they were created via the platform or whether an update is required. „The provision and validation of PCDSs is an important step towards interoperable and transparent information on circular product characteristics,“ explains Anna Geigenmüller from the ZINQ sustainability team. „It enables informed decisions throughout the supply chain, in line with a functioning circular economy.“

Update according to ISO 59040

ZINQ was involved in the development of PCDS from an early stage and was one of the first adopters several years ago. The original initiative has since evolved into ISO 59040, an international standard for circular product data sheets and their use. Among other things, this standard stipulates that PCDS must be updated as soon as relevant product characteristics change. This provides customers with a structured framework for assessing circular product characteristics in terms of reusability, repairability and recyclability. The PCDS for ecoZINQ, duroZINQ and microZINQ are available on the relevant product pages of the ZINQ website and are also available on TerraMatters. ZINQ is responsible for the accuracy of their content

In addition to the PDF version, TerraMatters also provides the PCDS in the machine-readable JSON-LD format. This facilitates automated information flows and supporting digital processes within the supply chain.

By listing on TerraMatters, ZINQ continues the path pursued since 2018 towards the standardised and transparent provision of product information and strengthens access to reliable data on material composition, reusability, and recyclability in the spirit of a circular economy.