Ocado scales packaging traceability with invisible UV tags on milk bottles

Ocado Retail has announced the expansion of its packaging traceability efforts in the UK through a wider application of Polytag’s technology across its milk range.

The initiative uses invisible ultraviolet (UV) tags printed on packaging, enabling barcode-level data to be captured in real time. This development supports Ocado Retail’s ambition to improve visibility of recycling rates and advance its sustainability goals.

As a founding member of the Polytag Ecotrace Programme, Ocado Retail aims to support the development of scalable circular economy practices. The UV tags are designed to provide greater insight into the recycling journey of its products by tracking when and where they are sorted within the UK’s recycling infrastructure.

To further engage consumers, Ocado Retail has also introduced Polytag QR codes across more than 100 of its own-label products. These codes offer on-pack guidance to encourage correct recycling behaviour and provide transparency around end-of-life packaging impact.

Polytag has equipped several material recovery facilities across the UK and Northern Ireland with its plastic detection units. These units can detect UV-tagged packaging and relay data to a digital dashboard, offering Ocado Retail detailed information on how its packaging is processed post-use.

The technology is intended to support compliance with extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation by delivering more accurate and timely data on recycling performance.