Polytag uses UV invisible tag technology to support the tracking of packaging data at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) via its digital dashboard.
Polytag has installed a network of Plastic Detection Units (PDUs) in high-volume MRFs across the UK and Northern Ireland.
Laura Fernandez, Senior Sustainability Manager at Ocado Retail, said: “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.”
Polytag said that it hopes the data will deliver insight into the lifecycle of Ocado Retail’s packaging, enabling it to benchmark real-world recycling rates and make informed decisions to meet the requirements of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR).
The partnership has also now rolled out QR codes to more that 100 Ocado Retail own-label products to provide customers with recycling instructions and sustainability information.
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.”
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