Polytag and Biffa team up to help Ocado Retail, Co-op and Aldi gain packaging lifecycle data
Recycling tech firm, Polytag, and sustainable waste management company, Biffa, have announced a collaboration with Ocado Retail, Co-op, and Aldi.
Through monitoring analytics via the Polytag dashboard, the UK retailers will be able to access real-time data insights, such as where, when and how much packaging has been recycled.
Moreover, Polytag will enable Biffa to start to capture real-time data on packaging composition directly through its processing operations, informing recycling strategy, investment in sorting, recovery equipment, and the onward tracking of materials.
The businesses have joined forces 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, the UK’s largest dairy co-operative Arla Foods and Müller Milk & Ingredients.
This 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.
Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, comments: “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”.
Anne Hitch, Business and Project Development Lead at RECOUP, says: “RECOUP have long called for transparent, robust, and granular data on packaging recycling to give a complete picture of behaviours and help inform policy and infrastructure developments.”
Carla Brian, Senior Commercial Development Manager at Biffa, comments: “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.”
David Acott, Operations Director (UK) at Interket UK, adds: “Following the success of the initial project with Polytag and Ocado Retail, in which our Ecoket range of materials was used to print over five million labels onto the retailers’ packaging, we are proud to be involved again on a project with similarly exciting implications for the circular economy.”
“By working with Polytag’s retrofitted technology, our labels open up hugely promising opportunities for brands and retailers. We are looking forward to seeing their impact.”
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