Live Bale Labs: the evidence behind the bale
A grade on a tag is a claim. Live Bale Labs is where the claim gets checked. It’s the evidence layer of Bale Index: structured observation, material assessment and documented review, tied to the bale and to what happens after it lands. We won’t tell you every bale ends well. Nobody who’s stood on a sorting floor would. What we can do is show the workings: what was sampled, what was seen and what was checked before it counted.
The work
What Live Bale Labs does
- Material characterisationWhat the bale is actually made of: fibre types, mixes and the composition indicators that matter, recorded where testing is available.
- Quality checksCondition, grade, usability and any quality indicators you’ve agreed. Assessed on the material, not read off the tag.
- Contamination assessmentAnything visible or tested that could affect use, safety or recovery, noted on the record before it becomes someone else’s problem.
- Recovery pathway insightA practical read on where the material can honestly go: reuse, repair, recycling or another recovery route.
- Policy-ready evidenceFindings structured so they can support standards, reporting and policy discussion. Built to be quoted, not just filed.
The method
How evidence is captured
- Sample intakeThe sample or bale arrives, gets identified and is linked to the right consignment record. One bale, one record.
- Inspection and assessmentApproved observation or testing, done to the protocol that fits the purpose. Looked at properly, not glanced at.
- Documentation and reviewFindings, images and supporting records are reviewed, then connected to the evidence record. Checked before they count.
- Reporting and insightAuthorised users get structured findings on quality, recovery, compliance or policy. The people who need them, and no one else.
The live display
What a bale’s day looks like in the system
These screens come from the Landfills2Landmarks Summit 2026: five bales worked through a live session, 884 items tracked one by one as they sold.
In practice
What this means in practice
- For exportersStronger evidence behind the quality you declared and how it performed once it landed. The grade on the tag, backed up.
- For regulatorsFindings with structure behind them, the kind that can support standards, oversight and policy review.
- For recovery partnersA read on condition and recovery potential before you commit sorting floor, machines and people. Know what’s coming before it arrives.
The evidence
How the evidence holds up
- Defined protocolsEvery observation and assessment follows an approved method that fits the purpose. Nothing’s freelanced.
- Traceable evidenceEach finding points back to its sample, its consignment and its evidence record. Pull one thread and the rest follows.
- Controlled accessDetailed findings go to authorised users and approved recipients. That’s the whole list.
- Documented reviewResults are checked before they’re released for reporting or decisions. Nothing leaves unreviewed.
The outputs
What comes out of Live Bale Labs
- Composition evidenceFibre and material composition indicators, on record.
- Quality observationsCondition, grade and usability, as found on the day.
- Contamination notesWhat was found that shouldn’t be there, and the observations around it.
- Recovery potentialEvidence on the likely route: reuse, repair, recycling or residual. When it’s residual, the record says so.
- Market intelligenceAggregated signals on quality, demand and how material is moving.
- Policy insightStructured evidence that can inform standards and policy development.
What does your organisation need to prove?
Every organisation, programme and market has something different to demonstrate. Tell us what yours is and we’ll walk you through how the evidence would be captured, reviewed and reported. A conversation, not a commitment.