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Overview

Test reports, technical documentation, supplier declarations, and declarations of conformity are the evidence behind your PPWR data. In Polygon One you upload these documents directly on the packaging unit or component; your suppliers also deliver documents via the supplier portal. The flow is document-first: you drop the file, the AI reads it, and you then decide about the values it found. You do not have to know the document type up front, and you do not have to retype values.
AI document analysis is an add-on. The steps described here are available once it is enabled for your workspace. Without it, you enter the values manually as before.

Uploading evidence

1

Start the upload

Open the packaging unit or component and click Upload evidence. The dialog explains: “Upload a document you already have (e.g. technical documentation or a test certificate) and attach it.”

Upload dialog for evidence documents

2

Document type: optional

The Document type field is set to Detect automatically. The hint below says what that means: “The AI reads the document and suggests a type; you confirm it before the document counts towards any requirement. You can also pick a type yourself.”If you know the type, pick it directly: heavy metals, PFAS, recycled content, technical documentation, technical drawing, declaration of conformity, marking evidence, or other. On a component, the types that only make sense on the packaging unit (technical documentation, declaration of conformity, marking evidence) are not offered. The supplier declaration type is not offered everywhere yet; if it is missing from your list, pick Other — the hint below the field names exactly that case: “Anything that fits no other slot — including a general supplier declaration covering several substances.”
3

Select the file

Supported are PDF, JPG, and PNG up to 10 MB — the field is labelled accordingly: “File (PDF, JPG, PNG · max 10 MB)”.
4

Upload

The button reads Upload & request analysis when an analysis can be requested, otherwise plain Upload. The analysis runs in the background; you can keep working.
Every document belongs to exactly one packaging unit or one component — so it is always unambiguous which data it substantiates.

The same file, uploaded again

Polygon One recognises a byte-identical file and asks rather than silently creating a second copy:
You already have this file — “{fileName}” is byte-identical to the document “{existingFileName}” you already have on file. You can attach a second copy anyway, or open the existing one.
You choose: Attach anyway, Open existing document, or Cancel. If the identical document is in the trash, uploading it again restores it instead of creating a duplicate.

When the analysis does not start

The confirmation after saving tells you what happened: A document that was not analysed stays on file and can be picked up later with Re-analyse.

One status line per page

On the unit and on the component, a single line carries the state from drop to decision. It runs from “Reading “{fileName}” — the document type is recognised automatically.” through “Type identified: {type} — “{fileName}” is being read now.” to one end state: “{n} values read from the document — {m} values are waiting for your check.”, ”… and filled in — nothing left to check.”, “Document read — no matching values were found for this packaging unit.” or “Recognised as {type} — please confirm the document type.”. If it takes unusually long, the line says so and notes that any values found will appear the next time the page loads. If an upload produces open decisions, the line briefly shows “{n} decisions needed” and then opens the review workspace over the page. If you are typing in a field at that moment, nothing opens — unsaved keystrokes are never lost.

The document type

The document type is settled in one of three ways:
  • Applied automatically. If you chose Detect automatically at upload and the AI recognises the type confidently, it is set and the analysis starts straight away — no intermediate step.
  • Suggested. For a document that is already typed and that the AI reads as something else, Suggested type: {type} appears with an Apply button. The review panel explains: “The AI reads this document as a different type than the slot it is filed under. Applying the suggestion re-files it.”
  • Undecided. If the AI could not tell confidently, the document stays under “Other” and carries the badge Type needed: “The AI could not confidently tell what this document is, so it is still filed as “Other”. Pick its type so it can be analysed and counted.”
You can correct the type yourself at any time: Change document type → Change type. The hint: “Re-files the document and, if it is analysable, starts a fresh analysis for the new type. Values already accepted stay on the component.”
Nothing is read while the type is unsettled: “The document type is not settled yet, so the AI has not evaluated this document. It reads the values out as soon as the type is chosen or confirmed.”

What the AI reads from which document

Each document type has its own scope. Types meant to evidence a particular requirement (heavy metals, PFAS, recycled content, technical drawing, declaration of conformity, marking evidence, supplier declaration) first pass a validity check: does this document belong under the requirement it was filed under? Only then are values read. Technical documentation and other are evaluated directly. How much is read depends on the type:
  • A test report (heavy metals, PFAS, recycled content) yields exactly the value it exists to state — a heavy-metals report yields the heavy-metals value, not the material list.
  • A technical documentation, a technical drawing, a declaration of conformity, a supplier declaration, and a document filed under other can state the full component field set: materials, polymer, mass, recycled content with source and method, heavy metals and PFAS. Food contact is applied only when the document prints it plainly (“Food contact: yes/no” or “suitable for food contact” without a condition); anything else stays with you. The contact-sensitive switch is not read out — that is a use decision you make.
  • Marking evidence yields only materials and polymer — it is a label, not a measurement.
A declaration is not a measurement. Values from a declaration of conformity or a supplier declaration are carried as a declaration, never as a measured value. The review panel says so on the value: From a test report or From a declaration. That is what later decides which basis of claim is stored on the component.

Threshold declarations are not measurements

If a document only states a limit — for example “heavy metals ≤ 100 mg/kg (manufacturer’s declaration)” — with nothing actually measured, it does not become a measured value: the heavy-metals value is recorded as a declared upper bound and labelled that way on the component (”≤ {value} declared (supplier declaration, not a measurement)”), and every other number (mass, percentages, dimensions) is discarded. If a document does state a measurement next to its limit (“38 mg/kg measured, limit 100”), the measurement stays a measurement.

The “What is this?” section

In the review panel, under What is this?, the AI says in plain words what kind of document this is (Technical documentation, Test report (lab), Certificate, Declaration of conformity, or Other document) and which Art. 5 / Annex VII aspects it covers: behind covers: and missing: stand materials, heavy metals, PFAS, weight, and recyclability. Below it always stands “AI assessment, not a compliance verdict.” — it is a classification, not a verdict.

Reviewing values: the review workspace

The way in is called Review now everywhere. It opens the workspace over the page you are on — you lose neither your place nor unsaved input. The document sits on the left, the section Values from this document on the right: “Values the AI read from this document — confirm what is correct.” The right-hand side is an editable form: you change any value there directly (Edit {field} → Save) without leaving the view.
PPWR review workspace with document preview and approval decision

Review workspace with synthetic technical documentation and a pending approval

Only exceptions need a decision

The header counts along:
{n} values settled · {n} need your check · {n} match · {n} missing
  • Match — the document states exactly the value you already entered. These collapse into one line (“{n} values match your entries”) and need no click. They do not disappear either: the evidence is there. What is compared is not only the number but also the kind of value: a declared bound (”≤ 100, manufacturer’s declaration”) and a measured 100 do not match — that row then asks for a decision, provided both values record what the number means.
  • Settled — already confirmed or entered automatically.
  • Need your check — the only place where there is actually something to do.
  • Missing — the document said nothing about it (see below).
The button Next open item ({n}) jumps from decision to decision.

The states of a row

Everything that can be accepted without a question is one click: “Apply {n} open values”. Conflicts and unsure values are not included — each of them gets its own click. If a value changed in the meantime, the app reports “This value changed while you were reviewing it. Check it again.”. At the end you get “Everything from this document has been reviewed” — or, if entries remain open, “Everything from this document has been reviewed — {n} entries are still missing”.

What the document does not state

Values the document is silent about are not listed one by one but bundled into one line: “{n} values are not stated in the document: {fields}”. A link beside it leads straight to the right place — “{fields} — add on the component” or ”… add on the packaging unit”. What you enter there is saved immediately; the hint says so plainly: “What you enter here is saved directly on the component or the packaging unit — the document is only recorded alongside it as context.”

Every value names its source

Each value that was read comes with its quote from the document — Show source text (machine-extracted) — and its page (p. {page}). Show in document (page {page}) jumps the preview on the left to exactly that page and highlights the passage. On scanned pages that have no markable text layer, the recognised text boxes are drawn over the page instead; if nothing matches, you still land on the right page. If the quote is in another language, Translate this text translates it by machine; below it then reads “Machine translation — the original text above is what the document says.”

Evidence in the form: provenance chips

Outside the review workspace too, every field shows where its value comes from. Clicking the chip opens Document, By and On — plus Open in document, which opens the review workspace right on the passage. A chip does not disappear once you decided the value yourself — it then names your decision. It always names the newest document carrying the value; if that document is deleted, the chip shows “Document deleted on {date}” instead of a link.

Accepted automatically — and when not

If the AI is confident about a value, it enters it directly (chip Entered by AI); if it is unsure, it holds the value back. Masses, dimensions and test methods are entered only when the document prints them plainly (labelled, with unit and axis); a total weight that may include the contents waits. A plain PFAS declaration (“PFAS-free”, “contains no PFAS”) is entered; an exception, a named substance, a hedge or a lab result waits. A packaging type read from a document always takes one click. When all four heavy metals are not detected, the value reads “not detected — compliant”, never 0. In three cases nothing is ever written automatically, however confident the read:
  • Recycled content. Percentage, source, and method are one value and are only accepted together (“Percentage, source and method are accepted together.”). A source or method never lands without a positive percentage behind it — and no percentage lands without both. If something is missing, the app says: “Recycled content needs a percentage together with its source and chain-of-custody method before it can be accepted.”
  • A document whose type the AI set and nobody confirmed. The values are read and wait for your review.
  • A document the supplier has only just dropped. While their data request is still open and they can still edit it, the values are theirs: “Suggested by a document the supplier is still working on — their submission is what confirms the value.” Only after their submission (or once the request is cancelled or their link lapses) can you decide.
Accepting a value only stores the measured value on the component’s record — whether the obligation is met is derived separately from that value by the obligation catalogue. An accepted heavy-metals value of 120 mg/kg therefore correctly leads to Open, not to “Met”.

The basis of claim

Heavy metals and PFAS carry a Basis of claim on the component: Test report, Supplier declaration, or Not substantiated. When you accept or confirm a value from a document, the basis is only ever corrected upwards: upload the lab report that backs an existing supplier declaration and it becomes Test report. An equal or weaker credit changes nothing — a basis is never downgraded. And a basis a person chose is not overwritten by an AI classification; that takes a real test report as the document type. If you change a substance value yourself, its basis is reset and has to be substantiated again — the app says so on save: “Value saved. The evidence basis for {field} was reset and needs to be substantiated again.”

Reanalyze

Reanalyze runs the analysis again on an already-analysed document — after a model improvement, say, or when a document looks misfiled. A confirmation dialog explains what happens: open suggestions are replaced; values already accepted into components are kept.

The document library

Under Documents (/packaging/documents) you find all packaging evidence in one place: “All packaging evidence — technical documentation, declarations of conformity, and substance attestations.”

Documents view: cards grouped by document type with analysis badges

Documents are grouped as cards by document type, with a toolbar above them:
  • Filters and search: Type, Review, AI analysis (Needs review, Analyzed, Analysis running, Never analyzed), Supplier, Component, and Packaging unit — each multi-select — plus the free-text search (“Search documents…”). Sorting is by date, name or type.
  • Bulk actions: Analyze documents with no values queues every document in the current filter that no values have been read from yet; the confirmation dialog names the per-run cap and points out that this uses your AI allowance. Download all ({n}) packs the filtered documents into a ZIP.
  • Every card shows the file name, upload date, the linked unit or component, the review status, and the AI badges: Analysis in progress…, Not analyzed yet, {n} values extracted, AI-checked, AI-typed, Type needed, Older version, or File missing (the stored file has passed the retention period; the entries and the AI analysis are kept as evidence). Plus the evidence badges Confirms your entry and Differs from your entry. A click opens the review workspace over the list.
If a newer document of the same type exists for the same owner, the older one carries the badge Older version: “A newer document of the same type exists for this owner, so this one is no longer the current version.”

Approving or rejecting documents

Independently of the AI, you judge each document as a whole. Until you decide it stands at Pending review, afterwards at Approved or Rejected.
“Approving records that your team accepted this document. It does not establish PPWR conformity or permission to issue a declaration of conformity.”
A document that was accepted automatically and that nobody has looked at carries the status Accepted (unreviewed) — “Accepted automatically on upload — nobody on your team has reviewed it yet.” How you reject depends on where the document came from:
  • Delivered by a supplier: Reject & request a new one — a reason is required: “Please add a reason so the supplier knows what to correct.” The corresponding data request goes back to the supplier automatically and they are notified.
  • Uploaded by you: Reject document — the rejection is internal only, a reason is optional (but useful for your team).
A rejected document no longer satisfies any obligation.
If the validity check comes back Does not fit this evidence slot, Polygon One resets an automatically accepted document to Pending review. A decision a person has already taken is never overwritten.
Does a unit show 0 pieces of evidence — “Documents (0)” or “Evidence documents: Not available”? That only means no evidence document has been recorded for this unit yet — not that no evidence is required. Why a unit can still be On track is explained in the section “Why does this show 0 pieces of test evidence…” in the obligation catalogue.

Deleting and restoring

Deleting an evidence document means the trash, not destruction — there is no permanent delete for evidence documents. How the trash works in general is described under packaging units. Delete. Via More actions → Delete. The dialog says what happens: ""{name}” will be removed and excluded from all evidence, declarations of conformity, and reviews. This document’s open AI suggestions are discarded; values already applied are kept. Any declaration of conformity that relied on this document is marked out of date. You can upload a new document afterwards.” Restore. ""{name}” is restored and counts again in evidence, declarations of conformity and checks. Note: AI suggestions superseded by the deletion are not reactivated, and cancelled data requests stay cancelled.” If the owning unit or component is itself deleted, this is not possible: “This document’s packaging unit or component is deleted. Restore the unit or component first — the document comes back with it.” The Show deleted switch folds the documents in the trash back into the same list — with the badge Deleted and the action Restore. The review workspace still opens a deleted document and points out that its file is no longer served. What cannot be deleted. Two cases are blocked because the document is part of an issued piece of evidence:
  • “This document is part of a declaration of conformity and is retained with it — it can’t be deleted. To replace it, collect a new declaration of conformity.”
  • “This document is part of the active published re-use dossier and cannot be deleted. Publish a new dossier version without this document first.”
Several at once. The header control Select all {n} on this page marks one page’s documents; Delete selected ({n}) moves them to the trash together (“The selected documents are moved to the trash and stay restorable via “Show deleted”.”). The selection always covers only the current page, and changing a filter or the search clears it. If a single document cannot be deleted (see above), the result reports how many were deleted and how many were not.

Retention

The PPWR requires conformity documents to be kept for 5 years — for reusable packaging 10 years (as well as the traceability evidence under Art. 22). Your documents uploaded to Polygon One remain centrally stored and can be retrieved and exported at any time, so you can serve these periods to market surveillance.

Next steps

Technical Documentation

How the Annex VII documentation is built from data and evidence.

Declaration of Conformity

Issue or collect and verify the EU declaration of conformity.