Learn the power of Invisible UV Tags.
Real-Time Recycling Data With Aldi
Challenge
Aldi wanted to know how much of its packaging is actually recycled: data that had not been available before.
Solution
Polytag’s Invisible UV Tags on Aldi’s packaging tag and trace individual products across their lifecycle, without losing valuable label space.
Result
Item-level recycling data, captured in real time, shows Aldi how much of its packaging is recycled and tracks each item’s journey through the recycling process.
03 — The story
Recycling data, item by item.
Aldi set out to measure how much of its packaging is actually recycled. Invisible UV Tags printed onto the packaging take up no label space. Polytag’s readers at the Biffa Teesside recycling centre capture item-level data in real time, so Aldi can follow an item’s journey through the recycling process and measure its progress against its sustainability targets.
04 — Platform
Built with.
Invisible UV Tags
Printed onto Aldi’s packaging, with no loss of label space.
UV tag readers
Installed at the Biffa Teesside recycling centre.
Item-level recycling data
Captured in real time: how much is recycled, and each item’s journey.
The Award-winning European supermarket chain, Aldi has deployed Polytag’s Invisible UV Tags onto its product packaging to be able to tag and trace individual products across their full lifecycle. By selecting Polytag’s Invisible UV Tags, Aldi is able to track products without losing valuable label space.
Aldi has a strong legacy in the sustainability space, exceeding its 2025 goals to reduce food waste as early as 2022, reducing primary plastic packaging and ensuring 100% of Aldi own-label primary packaging is reusable, recyclable or home-compostable.
Working with Polytag to implement invisible UV watermarks provides item-level recycling data that is captured in real time, providing Aldi with insights on the quantity of its packaging that is actually recycled and allowing the retailer to track an item’s journey through the recycling process—data that has not been available before now.
The power of invisible UV watermarks
The printing of UV tags provides supply chain stakeholders with unique packaging lifecycle data, including where and when it was produced and the percentage of recycled material it contains, protecting against fraud. This technology also allows legislators to measure business liabilities and enforce legislation by identifying plastic packaging ownership. Local authorities and recycling centers can capture real-time data on packaging composition and breakdown of bales, helping to inform recycling strategy, investment in sorting and recovery equipment and onward tracking of materials.
We are constantly working to be a more sustainable retailer, so we are excited to see how Polytag’s technology will enable us to access and analyse more data around our packaging lifecycles, and use these learnings to accelerate our progress towards our sustainability goals.
Luke Emery, Director of Sustainability, Aldi UK
Leading retailers in the UK understand we will truly tackle the waste problem in this country by using data. Gaining access to real-time packaging lifecycle information will be a game-changer, enabling retailers to develop a greater understanding of their products’ journey and make meaningful progress towards their sustainability pledges.
