Innovating to enable the circular economy
Trialling and using new technologies, we can reduce waste, improve recyclability, and close the loop on circular solutions.
Partnering to innovate
The scale of the climate challenge is immense. No-one company has all the answers. Instead, Biffa works with multiple partners like Innovate Recycle to innovate, providing the real-world context to trial and validate new and emerging technologies. We help to deliver practical, tried and tested solutions you can trust to have a positive social and environmental impact and help the UK on its journey to net zero.
About half the reductions to get to net zero emissions in 2050 will need to come from technologies that are not yet ready for market. This calls for massive leaps in innovation.
Fatih Birol ED
International Energy Agency (IEA)
What does innovation mean for Biffa?
Spotlight on our latest trials
Polytag and lifecycle data
Biffa is partnering with Polytag, to help Ocado Retail, Co-op and Aldi gain unprecedented packaging lifecycle data. A variety of bottles marked with UV 2D tags, can be read by a Polytag UV tag reader retrofitted onto the plastic conveyor at our Teesside MRF in the northeast of England.
ReBorn and sustainable homeware
Brunel University London, Biffa, and Henley Marketing, supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will collaborate on sustainable homeware with ReBorn. The venture will see waste plastics revived as factory-fresh, low carbon washing-up bowls, dishracks, and drainers.
Northern Trains and IoT
Northern Trains, alongside Biffa, deployed smart bin sensors at 70 stations across the North East. Manufactured in the UK by IoT Solutions Group, these sensors give Northern Trains real-time data on recycling volumes from individual bins, helping them monitor and improve recycling rates.
What does the future of sustainable waste look like?
Next generation AI and robotics are constantly in the news these days, and questions are being asked about how these technologies will impact waste. Can AI effectively identify materials in waste processing facilities? Would robots be safer and provide more efficient sortation than manual picking? More exploration and development is needed, and Biffa is working with different partners to understand the possibilities.
Explore the possibilities with us
If you are an organisation or company looking for a partner to help you trial an innovative new solution that will help make waste more sustainable, then get in touch.