UK recycling software adds blockchain capabilities

FRED (Fast Remote Entry of Data), which its developer Increase Computers says is the most widely used recycling software in the United Kingdom, is incorporating blockchain technology into its product “to help connect parties involved in the recycling supply chain, from supplier and shipper right through to port operator.”

The integration is happening as part of a proof of concept trial being conducted by Marine Transport International (MTI), the developer of blockchain-enabled technology for the container logistics industry. In the trial, FRED software used by Welshpool, U.K.-based scrap company Parry & Evans Recycling captures data from shipments including weight, container number, commodity, seal number, piece count, load and container imagery, Annex VII documents, port of call and truck driver details.

Through MTI’s blockchain connection, this information is then shared with the hauler, shipper, port operator and ocean carrier “instantly,” according to a press release from MTI. Without the connection to the blockchain network, all the data would need to be uploaded into the individual parties’ systems, entailing dozens of emails and ways of formatting the information, says MTI.

“By incorporating blockchain into a live process, we’re tapping into a major opportunity to help the recycling industry hugely simplify the way it transports material,” says Phil Short, managing director of Increase Computers. “There has been a huge amount of hype about blockchain – with this proof of concept we’re involved in a real, practical application with significant global potential.”

After the trial, Increase says it intends to offer the feature to its customer base, which includes many of the largest recyclers in the U.K. “We now own a plug-in to the MTI network, which means we can support our customers to share their shipment information with everyone involved in the supply chain,” says Short. “The beauty of MTI’s technology is that it can integrate with other systems, so while it’s preferable that everyone is part of the same network, if they aren’t, we can still connect with them via EDIFACT [Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport, established by the United Nations], and take out the laborious process of booking shipments and moving recovered materials.”

Comments Jody Cleworth, CEO of MTI, “FRED is the U.K. market leader in recycled materials software, and we’re delighted to be partnering with them on this proof of concept to demonstrate the practical application of our blockchain technology in the recycling supply chain. Working with Phil and his team has meant we’re able to share all the data shippers, carriers, haulers and ports need to process shipments, without the accompanying workload. The shipping of recovered materials is necessarily heavily regulated, and we’ve had a real impact in simplifying the process while remaining compliant. The potential savings in time and money for less regulated commodities is huge.”

Woking, U.K-based MTI, which also has an office in New Jersey, says it specializes in moving cargo around the world by bringing technology and logistics together.

Gateshead, U.K.-based Increase Computers developed recycling-specific software FRED in the 1980s, with the latest version having been released in 2012. FRED is now operated by more than 500 users daily, according to Increase.