Polytag boosts recycling transparency in Wales

Polytag has integrated four Polytag Plastic Detection Units at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) in Wales.  

The new sites in Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire and Anglesey mark a significant step in Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, an industry-led initiative empowering 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 program. Using Polytag's technology brands will gain data visibility on the 146,000 tons 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 exactly when and where their plastic packaging is recycled, closing the data gap in the recycling process. The newly installed units, delivered in partnership with Welsh company, EBS, scan and collect barcode-level data on individual products as they enter the recycling stream. 

The Plastic Detection Units are predicted to enhance recycling efficiency across the participating MRFs, which currently have an average recycling rate of 66.5 percent. 

Aligning with Wales’s broader strategy to achieve net zero by 2030, this project was made possible through a GBP 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 program manager at SBRI Centre of Excellence said: ‘This initiative, made possible by the Circular Economy in the Public Sector SBRI Challenge, is a valuable step in improving recycling data in Wales. 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.’