Deeside firm to track 146,000 tonnes of Welsh waste

A Deeside-based company is helping to transform waste recycling in Wales by introducing new technology that tracks the journey of single-use plastic packaging through the recycling stream.

Polytag has announced the installation of its Plastic Detection Units at four Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) in Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, and Anglesey.

The move will give brands and waste processors visibility over the fate of 146,000 tonnes of waste entering those sites each year.

The installations form part of Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, an industry-led initiative designed to give retailers, manufacturers and waste companies detailed, real-time data on recycling habits and performance.

Using invisible UV tags embedded in product labels, Polytag’s technology can scan individual packaging items as they pass through the MRFs.

That information is linked to specific brands and products, allowing companies to see when and where their plastic packaging is recycled.

The new units in Wales join similar installations already operating in Re-Gen’s MRF in Newry, Northern Ireland, and Biffa sites in Edmonton and Teesside.

Polytag says the four Welsh sites currently recycle an average of 66.5% of the waste they receive.

The additional data gathered through the detection units is expected to help improve those figures further by giving stakeholders clearer insights into recycling behaviours.

The project received a £100,000 grant from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Centre for Excellence, funded by the Welsh Government as part of its wider drive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

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.”

She added: “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.”

Kate Williams, Innovation Programme 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.”