Polytag secures funding for recycling project

Polytag, a recycling technology firm, has been awarded over 100,000 GBP (132,000 USD) from the Small Business Research Initiative Centre of Excellence, funded by the Welsh government, to install four Polytag Plastic Detection Units across the country.  

The Plastic Detection Units, which scan and collect data on individual products at barcode level as they enter the recycling stream, will be placed at key material recovery facilities in Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire and Anglesey.  

The funding has been granted to Polytag as part of an upcoming circular economy innovation project to help the Welsh public sector achieve net zero by 2030. With Polytag now involved, the project will become part of a broader initiative to invest in recycling in Wales. 

By scanning Polytag’s UV watermarks affixed to products, the Plastic Detection Units — developed in partnership with Welsh company EBS — gather data on the types and quantities of materials being recycled at barcode level, shedding light on the true composition of the recycling waste stream at any given time.  

Polytag will also work with regional and national brands to integrate its UV watermarks with its GS1-approved consumer-facing QR codes, creating a digital trail to trace packaging throughout the recycling journey, at the barcode level. 

Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said: ‘This partnership is another remarkable move by the Welsh government towards a fully circular economy. Wales has been leading in this space for years, and Polytag is privileged to become a bigger part of that. This fund will enable us to install our award-winning technology at four key sites that see large amounts of waste and recycling in Wales and help provide invaluable data that will enable brands to take responsibility for their packaging. 

‘Originally a Welsh start-up, we are passionate about supporting like-minded businesses and government initiatives. This funding is just the first step to support the work Wales is already doing to raise recycling rates and open the door to brands who want to learn when, where and how much of its packaging is recycled.'   

Much of the research behind this innovative technology is being conducted at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in North Wales.