Polytag, the UK’s leading data capture and marketing platform enabling the circular economy, has announced a partnership with global leader in premium label solutions, Multi-Color Corporation (MCC). The partnership allows brands to incorporate Polytag's innovative UV tag technology directly into in-mould labelled (IML) packaging for the first time, helping brands unlock valuable consumer recycling data while supporting future advanced sorting capabilities within recycling infrastructure.
By combining MCC's Global IML business unit’s expertise in in-mould labelling with Polytag's packaging intelligence platform and UV tag technology, the collaboration extends packaging traceability capabilities to a broader range of packaging applications, including products where traditional labels may not be suitable or durable enough, such as frozen foods and other demanding retail environments. Most recently, the two companies collaborated to roll out Polytag technology to the Happy Cow’s faux brand tub packaging, in support of a recent demonstration day organised by standardised barcode experts, GS1 and optical sortation company, Pellenc ST. This showcased how connected packaging and advanced sorting technologies can work together to improve material recovery and traceability for IML packaging types.
Polytag’s UV tag acts as an invisible digital fingerprint that is readable by specialised detection units installed at Material Recovery Facilities. Unlike visual identification systems, UV tags can carry detailed packaging-specific data that cannot be determined from an image alone, such as material composition, recycled content, manufacturing content and material origin. This enables packaging to be identified and sorted based on attributes that are critical to recycling outcomes, helping create higher-quality recycled material streams and supporting a more circular economy.
This data is also fed back to brands through the Polytag platform, providing valuable recycling data that can help offset Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees, while also informing packaging design and on-pack information to increase recyclability. The technology has already been deployed on milk bottles for major brands and retailers including Waitrose and Ocado. Through the collaboration with MCC Global IML, Polytag is enabling this technology to scale, supporting the end goal to make every material traceable, regardless of its packaging type, and further enabling the circular economy.
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said: “Working with MCC allows us to extend the reach of our technology, and scale into new packaging formats, helping brands access valuable recycling data while preparing for the future of connected packaging and digital product information."
Nico Van de Walle, Senior Product and Circularity Manager at MCC Global IML, said: “The packaging industry is entering a period of transformation as brands prepare for greater product transparency and the wider adoption of connected packaging technologies. By combining MCC's expertise in IML with Polytag's technology, we're helping bring connected packaging to more products and more consumers.”
Jon Anderson, Chief Technology Officer at Polytag, said: “For connected packaging to deliver real value, it needs to work across as many packaging formats as possible. Extending our technology into IML packaging is an important step forward. It allows brands to gain deeper insight into what happens to packaging after use, as well as gathering data to support better recycling and circularity goals.”