TRANSFORMING THE WAY THE WORLD RECYCLES
We partnered with PolyTag to put power into the hands of consumers by transforming the recycling process.
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120
unique PAC codes
60
households across UK
58%
tagged bottles recycled
Giving plastic products their own fingerprints.
PolyTag integrate unique PAC codes (Product Assigned Code) into over 120 different plastic packaging and products, at the point of their production, that allows them to track this plastic from the manufacturer to the consumer to the recycling plant. The technology has the potential to create a circular plastic economy, but only if consumers are willing to adopt the technology and process.
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THE CHALLENGE?
PolyTag approached us with the idea of leveraging technology to create an experience for users that would empower them to improve the way we recycle.
They needed a prototype mobile app which could encourage consumers to change their behaviour and adopt the process; proving the concept and showing that people are willing to adopt the technology.
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THE SOLUTION
We designed and developed a mobile app which allows consumers to scan multiple plastic products to discover the best way to recycle them.
Giving them the opportunity to better separate different types of plastics and have them collected by PolyTag; allowing the waste to be more efficiently recycled.
WHAT DOES THE APP DO?
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1. SCANNING UNIQUE CODES
Once users are ready to recycle their plastics, they simply remove any required labels & scan the unique PAC code on the packaging through the PolyTag app.
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2. EDUCATING USERS ON RECYCLING
The app will then guide the user through the best ways to prepare all of their plastic waste for recycling. Including information from rinsing plastic bottles to removing their caps & labels.
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3. COLLECTING PLASTIC RECYCLING
Users then have two options for recycling; either placing items into a PolyTag bag for collection or returning their waste to a participating retailer or community recycling champion, where PolyTag facilitate the collection.
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4. TRACKING PLASTIC PACKAGING
The PolyTag app then tracks the users waste all the way to the PolyTag MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) for reprocessing, at which point the user is notified that they’ve recycled their waste.
The 'Tag and Trace' Trial.
The PolyTag team went out to the village of Greasby to test the prototype with a community of people passionate about recycling.)
They downloaded the app and used it to scan all their personal care items over a 40-day period. Preparing all their plastic packaging and putting it into a PolyTag bag for collection.
PolyTag recyclers then collected these bags every Tuesday and with the astounding amount of plastic packaging that ended up being reused or recycled, PolyTag has put plans into place to roll-out the tech on a national scale in the not-too-distant future.
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