POLYTAG is aiming to help transform the recycling sector after expanding its network to include one of the largest material recovery facilities (MRFs) in the UK.
The Plastic Detection Unit installed at Re-Gen’s MRF in Newry, Northern Ireland, is enabling the site to count individual items of packaging during the recycling process. The site is the second-largest MRF in the UK, processing 250,000 tonnes of commingled household waste each year.
In addition to handling a quarter of Northern Ireland’s total waste, the facility also processes materials from England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.
The installation at the site forms part of Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, which aims to deploy the company’s Plastic Detection Units across 12 MRFs to cover 50% of the UK’s household recycling waste stream. Once detection units are installed, brands that apply Polytag’s invisible watermarks to their packaging will be able to gain access to ‘never-seen-before’ data about the lifecycle of their products.
Invisible to the human eye, the watermarks are spotted by Polytag Detection Units using UV lights. Real-time data collected provides packaging lifecycle intelligence, designed to help businesses set internal ESG targets or use them as a benchmark for legislative reporting.
Polytag partners with brands and retailers, including M&S and Ocado Retail, to enable the tracking and tracing of packaging, incentivise plastic recycling, and set and achieve ESG targets.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said, “Our partnership with Re-Gen marks a significant milestone in optimising recycling processes across the UK, with the Newry facility being a key site in this mission. As the second largest MRF in the UK, processing vast quantities of mixed-stream waste, our technology will allow the site to manage packaging and waste on a truly large scale – a game-changer for improving recycling rates and driving us closer to a circular economy.”
Joseph Doherty, chief executive of Re-Gen, added, “We are proud to partner with Polytag to trial their innovative Plastic Detection Unit at our Newry facility. At Re-Gen, we are constantly investing in advanced technology to improve our processes and remain leaders in the recycling industry.”
