Sustainable supply chain management firm Circulor has announced its partnership with TotalEnergies and Recycling Technologies to develop a blockchain-based traceability solution for hard-to-recycle plastics. Innovate UK is also providing financial support for the project.
The new scheme, known as project Trackcycle, uses blockchain technology to keep tabs on the recycled material supply chain – allowing for accurate and up-to-date information on everything from waste sourcing to where the upcycled polymers go when repurposed.
“We are on a mission to make the world’s most complex industrial supply chains more transparent in order to prevent the exploitation of our planet,” said Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, CEO of Circulor. “We all contribute to plastics waste on a daily basis and Circulor’s traceability platform will play an important role in introducing visibility where it is currently lacking.”
The announcement comes ahead of anticipated new regulations in the UK that will cut back on plastic packaging. Under the new rules, the material must be made out of a minimum of 30% recycled plastic, with non-complying parties issued a fine. The EU’s packaging levy – which began its rollout in January this year – has also put a tax on non-recycled plastics, in a bid to cut back on its use. Given the rising pressure for companies to use sustainably sourced plastics, Circulor sees a gap in the market that its technology could fill.
As part of Trackcycle, TotalEnergies and Recycling Technologies will apparently bring their R&D knowledge to the table, helping to inform supply chain traceability.
“We believe this project will bring about the benefits of linking inbound waste provenance with outbound quality and destination for each unit of Plaxx produced,” said Recycling Technologies’ chief executive Adrian Griffiths. “Full transparency is key to gain trust, incentivise sustainable practises and provide stakeholders with an optimised supply and logistics value chain, contributing to increased recycling rates.”
Sources:
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4035722/circulor-totalenergies-recycling-technologies-unveil-plastic-waste-traceability-software
https://plasticsinpackaging.com/companies-back-blockchain-enabled-traceability/
