Aldi and Arla are piloting new technology that will track milk bottles through the recycling process, in a bid to better understand what happens to packaging after it is thrown away.
The grocery retailer’s eight-week trial is being carried out with recycling technology company Polytag and will use invisible UV tags printed onto labels on Arla milk bottles.
It is understood the technology will allow the companies to collect data on where the bottles go after they enter the recycling system and how often they are detected during the process.
The UV tags use fluorescent ink that is printed directly onto the bottles’ wrap-around labels, and is designed to be safe for food packaging and recycling.
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When the tagged bottles reach recycling facilities, Polytag’s detection equipment can scan them and record information linked to their barcodes, before the collected data is then available to be viewed by Aldi and Arla.
The latest trial builds upon previous schemes between Aldi, Arla and Polytag, including a pilot initiative in 2023 used pressure-sensitive labels.
Aldi’s plastics and packaging director Luke Emery said: “This next phase with Polytag represents an exciting step forward in how we use data to drive our sustainability strategy. By integrating this advanced traceability technology into our packaging, we can gain deeper insights into the lifecycle of our materials.”
Arla Foods UK head of sustainability Helena Delgado Nordmann added: “As Europe’s largest dairy cooperative, Arla is committed to understanding how our packaging performs beyond point of sale.
“By working with Polytag, we hope to gain valuable insight into how milk bottle packaging moves through the recycling system, helping us to make more informed decisions about future packaging developments and supporting our ongoing efforts to improve packaging circularity.”
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