POLYTAG has announced the successful integration of four Polytag Plastic Detection Units at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) in Wales.
The sites in Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, and Anglesey are said to mark a significant step in Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, an initiative designed to empower brands, retailers, and waste management businesses with real-time data on the recycling of single-use plastic.
The four units have joined Re-Gen’s MRF in Newry (Northern Ireland) and Biffa facilities in Edmonton and Teesside in the programme. Using Polytag’s technology, brands will gain data visibility on the 146,000 tonnes of waste that enters the recycling and recovery stream across the four Welsh sites each year.
Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units scan packaging for invisible UV tags embedded in label artwork. This enables brands to track when and where their plastic packaging is recycled. The units, delivered in partnership with EBS, scan and collect barcode-level data on individual products as they enter the recycling stream.
The project was made possible through a £100,000 grant from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Centre for Excellence, funded by the Welsh Government.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said, “Wales is already a leader in recycling, currently holding the UK’s highest average recycling rate at a very impressive 66.5%. Installing these four new Plastic Detection Units across the country takes this success even further. It will generate invaluable data on what is being recycled and when, empowering brands to take full responsibility for their recycled packaging while also striving to increase that number even more.
“As a Welsh-owned business, it’s especially rewarding to see our technology embraced with open arms and to have the opportunity to build on its stellar credentials. We’re excited to see the results it yields in what we are confident will be a remarkable move towards a fully circular economy.”
Kate Williams, innovation programme manager at SBRI Centre of Excellence, added, “Installing advanced tracking technology to promote a circular economy approach within our recycling streams is essential. We’re excited to witness the positive impact our collaboration with Polytag will have on collective sustainability targets and the potential it creates for improving recycling rates across the region.”
