OCADO Retail has reportedly become the first UK grocer to scale packaging traceability through a partnership with Polytag.
The online grocery specialist will use UV invisible tag technologies to support a ‘more transparent, data-led’ recycling system. The retailer’s roll-out includes the full Ocado Retail milk range.
In partnership with connected packaging and recycling technology specialist Polytag, Ocado Retail has started applying UV watermarks to its milk range. The tags are invisible to customers but readable at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). They will provide Ocado Retail with data on where and when packaging is recycled.
The tags will enable real-time, barcode-level insights into where, when, and how much of Ocado Retail’s packaging is being recycled, in a move described as offering a level of visibility that has never-before been available at this scale.
The development builds on Ocado Retail’s position as a founding partner of Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, an initiative designed to reshape how the UK’s packaging is tracked and accounted for once it enters the waste stream.
In parallel, more than 100 Ocado Retail own-label products now feature Polytag QR codes that provide consumers with clear recycling instructions and sustainability information.
Polytag has installed a network of Plastic Detection Units (PDUs) in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) across the UK and Northern Ireland. These units detect UV-tagged items automatically and share data via the Polytag dashboard.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said, “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. The data now exists. The infrastructure is in place. Ocado Retail is showing the industry how to use it.”
Laura Fernandez, senior sustainability manager at Ocado Retail, added, “Ocado Retail is constantly looking for data-driven approaches to reduce environmental impact, and we’re proud to be the first online retailer to introduce Polytag’s UV-watermark technology on our own brand range. 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.”
