Recycling technology company Polytag and sustainable waste management company Biffa have partnered as part of plastics, resource, efficiency and recycling charity RECOUP’s 26-week long “Bottle to Bottle” project, in conjunction with label printer Interket UK and Arla Foods and Müller Milk & Ingredients.
The project will see Co-op’s water bottles and Aldi and Ocado’s milk marked with UV 2D tags, printed by Interket UK, with a Polytag UV tag reader retrofitted onto the plastic conveyor at Biffa’s Teesside MRF in the northeast of England.
Through monitoring analytics via the Polytag dashboard, retailers will be able to access real-time data insights, including where, when and how much packaging has been recycled to help optimise sustainability strategies.
The two companies also say that Polytag will enable Biffa to start to capture real-time data on packaging composition directly through their processing operations, informing recycling strategy, investment in sorting, recovery equipment and the onward tracking of materials.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, commented: “Polytag is a practical solution delivering actionable insights to solve recycling challenges. We’re pleased to be working with RECOUP to form part of its innovative project to address recycling rates in northeast England.
“Growing numbers of stakeholders are becoming aware of the necessity of data to incite meaningful change when it comes to recycling, and we know the power this never-before-seen data can have for brands and retailers committed to delivering their sustainability goals.”
As part of RECOUP’s “Bottle to Bottle” project, Polytag and Biffa say they will also enable the three retailers and Arla Foods and Müller Milk & Ingredients to better understand when and where their packaging is being recycled.
Carla Brian, Senior Commercial Development Manager for Biffa, said: “Biffa is a pioneer in closed-loop plastic recycling, and we’re committed to exploring new technologies to further optimise resource recovery.
“We are delighted to be working with RECOUP and Polytag to gather new insights and data about plastic packaging, which will inform strategic decision-making and shape response to recycling policy in the UK.”
