“Disruptive impact”: New “tag and trace” trial targets circularity for high-value plastic feedstock

30 Oct 2019 --- A trial to test the viability of a technology that could create high-value plastic feedstock from consumer recycling waste has launched, financially supported by recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety. Coined Polytag, the multifaceted technology platform enables brands to “tag” their packaging at the point of manufacture, then, with the help of consumers, “trace” it. This means it can be isolated from the existing recycling waste stream and reprocessed in batches of identical-grade and color plastic, creating a continuous packaging-material loop.

Polytag launched this week across Wirral, Merseyside, UK, in a 40-day trial that will assess the viability of the scheme.

“Only 45 percent of all plastic packaging is recycled in the UK, and yet production is expected to increase to over a million tones by 2030. Polytag seeks to tackle the pressing environmental issues caused by plastic and other packaging by helping to build a more circular recycling system that maximizes the value of the materials being used,” says Phil Sutton, CEO of Polytag.Such technology can help the industry achieve better quality feedstock.

The Polytag technology works using a specially developed printing process to “tag” each item of packaging with a unique PAC code at its point of manufacture. This tag will be stored on a Polytag database until it is paired up with the same code that has been “traced” by the consumer. The consumer tracing function will be facilitated through the use of a Polytag mobile phone app, which enables consumers to scan the Polytag PAC codes themselves. 

Once the code has been scanned, the consumer can follow instructions delivered via the app on how to clean and prepare the packaging, then ensure it is returned to Polytag – either via collection or drop-off at a designated Polytag collection point. 

The packaging will then be taken to a Polytag MRF for reprocessing producing high-grade Polytag pellets or granulate, which can be returned directly to the producer for reuse in their packaging stream.

Such technology can help the industry achieve better quality feedstock, which is imperative for an industry that has been set higher recycled content targets.

Developing advanced sorting solutions
As the regulatory squeeze has tightened on the industry, players from across the plastics value chain have innovated on more efficient recycling and sorting solutions.Polytag app enables consumers to scan the Polytag PAC codes themselves. 

Cracking sorting will crack recycling, according to Gian De Belder, Packaging Technologist, Sustainable Packaging Development at Procter & Gamble (P&G). Belder led a digital watermarking scheme, coined Project HolyGrail, which has now been succeeded by HolyGrail 2.0. 

Digital watermarking is a promising technique to “tag” plastic substrates or print materials, including shrink sleeve, IML label, or paper label with an identity that could include attributes such as plastic type, product manufacturer, product SKU, food or non-food usage and composition of multi-layer foils. 

Last week, Fortune 500 global plastic manufacturer Berry announced that it will begin manufacturing plastic packaging containing Digimarc Barcodes as a collaborator in the HolyGrail 2.0 recycling initiative. 

Digimarc is still in the development stage with a series of escalating demonstrations toward industrial pilots and, ultimately, large-scale commercialization.

Initiatives that promote a circular economy for plastics are also attracting investment. This month, 20 innovation projects joined forces to form the “Plastics Circularity Multiplier.” The group consists of a range of projects that receive funding for the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. 

One such group is CIRC-PACK, which aims to transform plastic packaging waste into a resource. The project will develop more sustainable, bio-based and recyclable plastics used for the manufacture of a wide range of products: trays, bottles, coffee capsules, jars, car parts, pallets and new types of multi-layer and multi-material packaging.

By Laxmi Haigh