Retailers including Aldi, Co-op and Ocado are trialling Polytag’s invisible 2D UV tags to get data on where their material is going to.
In conjunction with Biffa’s materials recycling facility (MRF) in Teesside, Co-op water bottles and Aldi and Ocado milk bottles will be processed under a UV tag reader fitted onto a conveyor there.
The retailers have worked with their suppliers Arla Foods and Müller to employ the new technology.
It will mean the retailers can get real-time data insights including information on where, when and how much packaging has been recycled.
The trial also means that Biffa can capture data on packaging composition at the MRF.
Polytag chief executive Alice Rackley said: “Growing numbers of stakeholders are becoming aware of the necessity of data to incite meaningful change when it comes to recycling, and we know the power this never-before-seen data can have for brands and retailers committed to delivering their sustainability goals.”
