Polytag

Polytag is a recycling technology company that has developed a solution to enable brands, retailers, and recyclers to track and trace packaging throughout its lifecycle. The company's core technology involves printing unique-every-time QR codes and invisible UV tags on packaging labels during production.

The QR codes are GS1 compliant and can direct consumers to brand websites with information on sustainability initiatives and charitable commitments. They also contain serial numbers that enable fraud-proof rewards, loyalty points, and secure deposit redemptions for recycling. The UV tags, invisible to the human eye, are detected by Polytag's scanners at recycling facilities, providing real-time data on recycling volumes and material composition.

This data helps brands comply with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations by benchmarking recycling rates and optimizing packaging design. It also streamlines recycling operations for facilities and local authorities. Polytag's technology creates a digital framework for implementing cost-effective deposit return schemes, where consumers can redeem deposits by scanning used packaging.

Key customers and partnerships

In April 2023, Polytag partnered with Co-op to apply its QR code and UV tag technology to the retailer's own-brand 2-liter PET spring water bottles. This gave Co-op unprecedented visibility into the recycling journey of its packaging.

Polytag also collaborated with Ocado Retail in July 2023, launching a milk bottle recycling initiative that rewarded Ocado customers for recycling via the Bower app by scanning Polytag's QR codes.

In May 2024, Marks & Spencer became a founding member of Polytag's Ecotrace Programme, which uses UV tags to enable accurate sorting of recycled PET packaging in the UK. Polytag invited other FMCG brands, retailers, and waste management businesses to join the program.