Polytag, a pioneering recycling tech firm, has announced a significant collaboration with UK retailer M&S as the founding member of its Polytag Ecotrace Programme. This ambitious initiative aims to optimize the tracing and recycling of single-use plastic packaging across the UK.

The Ecotrace Programme will strategically deploy an extensive network of Polytag’s Invisible UV Tag detection equipment in recycling centers handling high volumes of waste. This advanced technology is set to transform how single-use plastic is tracked from disposal to recycling.

Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, elaborates on the significance of the program: “Currently, FMCG brands lack visibility on the fate of their single-use plastic once discarded. With the enforcement of extended producer responsibility legislation, brands must now take accountability for their packaging materials.”

“Our Ecotrace Programme not only addresses this issue by gathering leading UK players to capture barcode-level information on single-use plastic, but it also exemplifies how passion and collaboration, combined with tangible actions, can drive significant change,” Rackley adds.

“We are grateful to M&S for being the inaugural partner in this groundbreaking initiative. We invite other businesses to join us in reshaping the industry.”

Packaging Insights is set to host a webinar on Innova Market Insights’ Top Trends 2024 titled “How are businesses pioneering responsible solutions?” on June 12. Rackley will join as a panelist to discuss Polytag’s work and the future of digital technologies in recycling.

UV Tag Reading Technology

Polytag’s program invites FMCG brands, retailers, and waste management businesses to participate and access detailed data on over 50% of the UK’s household waste recycling stream. As a founding member, M&S will gain unprecedented real-time insights into the collection and sorting of its single-use plastic packaging at recycling centers nationwide.

This innovative approach involves printing Polytag’s Invisible UV Tags onto labels during production. When these packaging items enter the recycling stream, a Polytag UV Tag Reader identifies the Invisible UV Tags, enabling accurate sorting and producing cleaner feedstock for UK-sourced recycled PET packaging materials.

With the growing demand for recycled PET, particularly from FMCG brands and the textiles industry, this initiative is timely and crucial. Participants in Polytag’s program will help develop a nationwide network of Invisible UV Tag Readers and gain access to the Polytag dashboard, an online hub providing live lifecycle data on a brand’s plastic packaging materials from consumer use to recovery.