Polytag has announced the successful integration of four Polytag Plastic Detection Units at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) across Wales. These new installations in Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, and Anglesey represent a significant advancement in Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme. This industry-led initiative empowers brands, retailers, and waste management businesses with real-time data regarding the recycling of single-use plastic, particularly in the food and drink packaging sector.
The four new units join Re-Gen’s MRF in Newry (Northern Ireland) and Biffa facilities in Edmonton and Teesside, enhancing the programme’s scope. With Polytag’s innovative technology, brands will gain vital data visibility over the 146,000 tonnes of waste entering the recycling and recovery streams across the four Welsh facilities each year.[1]
Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units utilize advanced scanning technology to detect invisible UV tags embedded in label artwork. This capability allows brands to precisely track when and where their food and drink sustainable packaging is recycled, effectively closing the data gap within the recycling process. Delivered in partnership with the Welsh company, EBS, the newly installed units scan and collect barcode-level data on each product as it enters the recycling stream.
Experts predict that these Plastic Detection Units will significantly improve recycling efficiency at the participating MRFs, which currently boast an average recycling rate of 66.5%.
In alignment with Wales’s overarching goal of achieving net zero by 2030, this initiative is supported by a £100,000 grant from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Centre for Excellence, funded by the Welsh Government.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, stated: “Wales sets the standard in recycling, achieving the UK’s highest average recycling rate at an impressive 66.5%. The addition of these four new Plastic Detection Units further reinforces this success. It will generate critical data on what is being recycled and when, allowing brands to take full responsibility for their recycled packaging while striving to increase that number even more.”
“As a Welsh-owned business, it’s deeply rewarding to see our technology embraced and to enhance its established credibility. We look forward to seeing the results it produces, confident that this initiative is a remarkable stride towards a fully circular economy.”
Kate Williams, Innovation Programme Manager at SBRI Centre of Excellence commented: “This initiative—facilitated by the Circular Economy in the Public Sector SBRI Challenge—marks a crucial step in enhancing recycling data in Wales. The installation of advanced tracking technology is essential for promoting a circular economy approach within our recycling streams. We are eager to observe the positive impact our collaboration with Polytag will have on collective sustainability targets and the potential improvements in recycling rates throughout the region.”
Polytag is dedicated to advancing sustainable waste solutions. For further information on Polytag’s collaboration with regional and national brands to integrate invisible UV tags with GS1-approved consumer-facing QR codes, please visit https://polytag.io/.
