M&S introduces invisible UV tags to collect recycling data
Supermarket becomes first in UK to roll out invisible recycling tracker
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- Marks and Spencer has become the first supermarket to introduce invisible, ultraviolet tags on some milk bottles to track them through the recycling system.
- Developed by recycling technology firm Polytag, these tags are printed on the labels of M&S's four-pint milk bottles, aiming to boost recycling rates.
- Once recycled, the bottles can be scanned by Polytag's plastic detection units in retrofitted recycling facilities, providing M&S with real-time data on their single-use plastic packaging.
- This initiative is designed to help M&S accurately track sustainability targets, improve recycling claims, and potentially reduce costs under extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules.
- M&S has also invested £100,000 into Polytag's Ecotrace programme, which seeks to roll out a nationwide invisible UV tag reader network, with other supermarkets like Co-op, Waitrose, and Aldi also working with Polytag.