Iconic UK retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has become the first to enhance the recycling of its packaging by introducing Polytag’s Ecotrace UV barcodes.
With brands in the UK being subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, providing accurate recycling data is becoming a critical part of compliance and can help with controlling costs.
The Polytag UV barcode tags are currently being introduced onto M&S 4-pint milk bottles and are printed as UV-visible DataMatrix codes directly onto the plastic bottle material. The tags are not visible to consumers, but they are easily detected and scanned by Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units, which are installed at many leading UK recycling plants. These detection units use UV scanners to detect the tags and read the embedded data.
The information retrieved immediately before the package is recycled provides accurate, real-time data on the status of each item, offering a clear view of the package’s lifecycle from the time it was sold to its final recycling.
“Retailers and brands can no longer afford to lose sight of packaging the moment it leaves their supply chain. With EPR now in effect, we’re entering a new era where real data is not just helpful, it’s essential.”
~ Alice Rackley, CEO, Polytag
As the UK strives to improve recycling rates, Polytag’s Ecotrace, the recycling facilities, brands, and retailers, are working together to make the process more transparent and help brands and producers comply with EPR rules. It’s estimated that Polytag’s UV Plastic Detection Units currently cover about 50% of the UK.
Check out this short video where Alice Rackley explains the Ploytag solution and the progress so far:
For more information on Polytag, please visit the Polytag website.
