Ocado Retail has become the first UK grocer to scale tech company Polytag’s packaging traceability labelling, which is aimed at helping retailers track recycling rates in the UK.
The online supermarket is using UV invisible tag technologies across its full own brand milk range in a move that has been dubbed by Polytag – which also works with Marks & Spencer and several other retailers – as a “new era of traceable recycling for UK grocery”.
The UV watermarks are invisible to customers but readable at multiple material recovery facilities (MRF) across the UK, helping to supply Ocado Retail with accurate, item-level data on where and when the packaging used on its products is recycled.
With packaging regulation tightening and extended producer responsibility (EPR) coming into play meaning organisations that bring goods to market are responsible for the full lifecycle of those items and their packaging, the type of intelligence Polytag provides is becoming increasingly sought after.
The move builds on Ocado Retail’s position as a founding partner of Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, of which Waitrose is also a member. More than 100 Ocado Retail own-label products now feature Polytag QR codes that provide consumers with clear recycling instructions and sustainability information, helping bridge the gap between packaging design and its end-of-life impact.
Polytag has installed a network of plastic detection units in high-volume MRFs across the UK and Northern Ireland. The tech company said these units are now capable of monitoring nearly half of the UK’s household recycling stream, detecting UV-tagged items automatically and sharing live, verified data with the participating brand.
Initially a data gathering exercise, the ultimate aim of using this technology is to improve recycling rates and reduce so-called downcycling, where packaging is turned into less valuable material. Polytag argued that as brands begin to take more responsibility for the recycling of their packaging under EPR, the data it provides will be vital in enabling the UK to reach its goal of a 65% recycling rate by 2035.
Laura Fernandez, senior sustainability manager at Ocado Retail, commented: “The technology allows us to truly understand the full lifecycle of our packaging, and make meaningful decisions based on that data.
“Being able to track our products through the recycling system is a significant milestone as we pave the way toward more sustainable practices.”
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, added: “This is the beginning of an industry-wide shift towards a more transparent recycling system.
“Retailers and brands can no longer afford to be in the dark about what happens to their packaging. Ocado Retail’s scale and pace in rolling out this technology has established a template for the whole industry, and proves what’s possible, and necessary, as we enter a new era of accountability for FMCG brands.”
[image credit: Polytag]
