Recon² marker technology attracts two new sponsors

A young start-up that has developed a methodology to determine the recycled content of a plastic product is working with On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) Ltd and a consortium of sponsors across the plastics sector to further develop the technology for, among others, packaging applications.

Recon² - the name is derived from Recycled Content Reconnaissance - is a University of Manchester not-for-profit spin-out company that uses tracking marker technology to quantify recycled content in plastic products and packaging.

The method is low cost, simple, and reliable. It works by incorporating minute quantities of fluorescent “tracer” molecules into a plastic recyclate stream during compounding. These molecules enable the direct quantification of recycled content in plastics with a quick scan directly on the surface, preventing any wasteful additional processing steps and keeping costs low and speed high. Within minutes, the recycled content of any plastic product – thus far proven at lab scale for HDPE, LDPE, PP and PET – can be assessed reliably, independent of processing steps, additives, and product type. The tracer molecule is also FDA and REACH approved, and is invisible under ambient lighting.

Together with OPRL and a group of sponsors, Recon² Ltd is now working to take the technology further to ensure ‘it is fit-for-purpose’, as Dr. Thomas Bennett, Director at Recon² and Research Fellow at Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester said. “We believe our technology is an important step towards achieving a circular economy for plastics use in the UK and beyond.”

The cohort, which includes ProAmpac, Reckitt, and Kraft Heinz, was recently joined by two additional companies, packaging platform Sourceful and Bright Green Plastics, a plastic recycler specialising in PP and HDPE recycling.

Sourceful and Bright Green Plastics will work with Recon² and the University of Manchester to begin trialling the technology on an industrially relevant scale across a number of packaging formats, such as flexibles and bottles. At present, there are no widely available technologies that can analytically determine the recycled content of a plastic item. As new legislation in the EU and UK – such as the UK’s plastic tax – comes into force, testing and assurance methods will become essential. The technology developed by ReCon² is highly suited for reporting on the UK’s plastic packaging tax and provides a robust tool to help governments ensure compliance with any future recycled materials requirements.

“Investing in technologies like this is critical to building transparency and confidence in supply chains,” said Wing Chan, CEO and Co-founder of Sourceful.  “The technology is simple to use and can easily be adopted by recyclers at minimal cost,” added Jonathan Attwood, head of technical at Bright Green Plastics.

OPRL  - the ‘on-pack recycling label’ - has developed a label scheme with recycling labels that provide the information to consumers they need to recycle correctly. The company is now working with Recon² on the development of a trust mark certification and auditing system to inform customers about the post-consumer recyclate (PCR) levels in plastics. Recon²’s patented fluorescent marking technology will underpin this trust mark scheme. The relevant information can be printed on product labels to certify recycled content.
Going forward, ReCon² will continue to establish partnerships across the recycled plastics industry, including recyclers, brands, and manufacturers.