
edie Awards
Engagement and Behaviour Change Initiative of the Year
Polytag, Ocado Retail and Bower: the 20p reward for recycling
01 — Company
For decades, nobody could say what actually happened to a pack after the bin. We built the technology that can. Founded in 2018 in Deeside, North Wales, Polytag's Smart QR Codes and Invisible UV Tags are now live in market, at scale, with Ocado, Waitrose and M&S.


02 — Why we exist
Less guessing. More knowing.
Brands deserve proof of what happens to their packaging. People deserve a reward for doing the right thing with it. We're here to give both, and make the circular economy something you can measure, not just mean.
Polytag didn't start as an app looking for a problem. It started with a chartered scientist who'd spent 25 years in recycling and civil engineering, and knew exactly what was missing.
03 — The story
Phil Sutton founds Polytag Limited to commercialise the system he invented.
Our work on digital deposit return schemes, with the Conwy pilot and the Greasby trial.
Highly commended at the University of Cambridge IfM Open Innovation Forum. A Women in Innovation award for our CEO.
With Ocado, the UK's first nationwide digital deposit return trial. Grocer Gold Recycling Initiative of the Year.

The RECOUP Award for Best Innovation in Equipment or Technology, and an edie award for engagement and behaviour change.
Barcode level packaging data, detected direct from UK recycling centres. Pellenc ST partners with us on sortation.

Detection across 14 UK sites, covering over 40% of total domestic recycling throughput, with the next phase focused on UV detection and sortation.
04 — Where we're from
Wales is named the second best country in the world for recycling. Building the proof layer here, in a country that already leads, keeps us honest about what good actually looks like.

05 — By the numbers
Patents held by our founder and inventor.
Unique serialised codes for Ocado Retail's fresh milk range.
UK recycling sites in the detection network.
Industry awards, commendations and shortlists.
Figures from Polytag's company, awards, Ocado and Ecotrace pages.
06 — The team

Alice Rackley
FounderFounder and CEO
CEO of Polytag, driving meaningful change in sustainability, traceability and the circular economy. 20+ years across retail, standards and transformation, including GS1 UK, M&S, Deloitte and Waitrose.

Phil Sutton
FounderFounder and Inventor
Chartered scientist, 25+ years in recycling and civil engineering, 31+ patents. The mind behind Durakerb, Duradrain and the Polytag system.

Brendan O'Neill
FounderFounder and Chairman
Industrial engineer and founding shareholder of the ABM Group. Phil's collaborator for over a decade.

Alex Webster
Chief Strategy Officer
Alex Webster has a long track record of backing and building data-led businesses.

Jon Anderson
Chief Technology Officer
Jonathan Anderson is the Chief Technology Officer at Polytag, holding over two decades of experience in the technology sector.

Virlina Choquette
Chief Delivery Officer
Virlina works with clients to ensure seamless and impactful collaborations and ensure Polytag remains at the forefront of industry innovations.

Brian Cook
Chief Product Officer
An expert in retail and supply-chain systems, Brian has previously held leadership positions at Amazon Fresh.
Awards are also a powerful reminder of what is possible when ambition and action come together.
GS1-compliant codes, ISO 9001 quality management and ISO 27001 information security. The boring paperwork that makes the proof stand up.
08 — Join us
We're always looking for people who want to prove the circular economy works, not just talk about it.