01 — The Ecotrace Programme
Ecotrace: one tag is data. A network is proof.
Ecotrace is set up and operated for the industry, by the industry: investing in and deploying Invisible UV Tag detection in recycling centres nationwide, so every member sees their packaging detected, counted and verified at barcode level.
14 detection sites · UK
02 — The live network
Of UK kerbside plastic visible to the network.
UK recycling sites with detection installed.
Tonnes of waste a year made traceable at four Welsh sites.
Detection rate in independent in-situ testing.
03 — How it works
Four steps. No new supplier.
- Step 01Members tagThe Invisible UV Tag is printed into existing artwork.
tag: invisible - Step 02Packs flow as normalSold, used, binned. Nothing changes for the customer.
stream: kerbside - Step 03Read at conveyor speedDetection units on the line see every tagged pack.
read at: MRF - Step 04Verified on your dashboardRecycling events, counted and reported, pack by pack.
status: verified
04 — Who's in
All partners →Built by the people who touch the pack.
Retail members
M&S
Ocado Retail
Waitrose & Partners
Aldi
Brand members
Kraft Heinz
Arla
Network hosts
Suez
Biffa
Pearce Recycling
Re-Gen
Wyllie Recycling
Cumbria Waste Group
N+P
Casepak
Sherbourne Recycling
Welsh Government
Sponsor
Ecosurety
Watch · Ecotrace LIVE 2025Opens video player. Press Enter or Space to play.A progress update on the programme, now detecting barcode-level packaging data direct from recycling centres across the UK.
05 — Membership
What membership gets you.
Barcode-level recycling data
Which packs came back, where, and when. Measured, not modelled.
Reshape how you respond to EPR
Transparency and efficiency across the whole recycling journey, with the evidence EPR now runs on.
Green claims, provable
Say your packaging is recycled because you can show it was.
For the industry, by the industry
Members power the deployment of the detection network, nationwide.
Membership is open. The network grows with every member.
06 — The roadmap
Where the network goes next.
Brand-specific sortation
Detection that does more than count. Tagged packs sorted into brand or material streams at conveyor speed, in partnership with Pellenc ST optical sorters.
Digital DRS readiness
A deposit return claimed from the kerbside bin, no reverse vending machine required. Digital DRS runs on the recycling system that already exists.