M&S deploys UV tag technology to monitor milk bottle recycling

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has introduced ultraviolet (UV) tags on its four-pint milk bottles as part of a new initiative to track plastic packaging through the UK’s recycling system and enhance data collection on recycling outcomes.

The UV tags, created by recycling technology company Polytag, are printed directly onto the bottle labels and are invisible to the naked eye. Once the packaging reaches participating recycling centres, detection units scan the UV markings to gather information about the location, time, and volume of plastic collected and processed.

This technology enables M&S to access detailed, real-time data on how its packaging is managed after use. It is intended to support improved transparency and provide a more accurate benchmark for plastic recycling rates, particularly across more than half of the UK’s household waste recycling operations.

The move follows M&S’s commitment to the Polytag Ecotrace programme, which launched in May last year. The initiative aims to assist retailers in monitoring progress towards environmental targets, strengthening recycling claims, and supporting compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations.

Other major supermarket chains, including Aldi and Co-op, have also signed up to the Ecotrace programme.