Mapping product lifecycle data at scale.
Ethical Hydration With One Water.
Challenge
One Water sells bottled water in the UK to fund water projects around the world, and wanted to share more of that story with the people holding its bottles.
Solution
Polytag’s GS1 Digital Link QR codes on One Water bottles open the One Water story on the brand’s own website.
Result
Customers connect with One Water and learn more about what it does, and the brand gains insight into how people interact with its packaging.
03 — The story
The story behind the bottle.
One Water launched in 2005 with a simple vision: sell bottled water in the UK to fund water projects across the world. Polytag’s GS1 Digital Link QR codes put that story on the bottle. Codes went onto still and sparkling water in plastic and glass bottles, and each scan opens the One Water website, devoted to its philanthropic work. The same codes help the brand understand where its products are bought, used and thrown away.
04 — Platform
Built with.
GS1 Digital Link QR codes
Codes that can be read through the supply chain, from point of sale to the recycling centre.
Unique-every-time codes
A unique code on every bottle, not one code for the whole range.
Scan analytics
Insight into where products are bought and how people engage with them.
Digital product passport
Each code creates a digital product passport, ahead of EPR rules.
One Water launched back in 2005 with a simple vision: to sell bottled water in the UK to fund water projects across the world. The name One represents the idea that you can’t change a billion people’s lives, but if you can change One life, one day at a time, that’s a definition of success.
To share more of One Water’s philanthropic activities, we collaborated to include Polytag’s GS1 Digital Link QR codes on One Water Bottles, enabling consumers to access the One Water story on their website.
Polytag real-time data delivers an opportunity for brands like One Water to improve their understanding of where products are purchased, consumed, and disposed of, as well as how each person interacts with their packaging.
More than your everyday QR code
One Water chose to work with Polytag thanks to the unparalleled benefits of the recycling tech company’s QR code technology. Polytag’s future-proof, GS1 Digital Link QR Codes provide brands with extensive analytics and ensures One Water stays ahead of changing legislation and market trends.
While standard QR codes simply direct to a webpage, Polytag’s technology delivers numerous additional benefits to brands and retailers. Alongside the marketing opportunities, the company’s tags can be read throughout the supply chain, from POS to recycling center.
Alongside extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulation – in force since 2025, with the first fee invoices issued in October 2025 – Polytag’s QR codes create a digital product passport, enabling brands to be at the cutting-edge of EPR rules.
Polytag’s QR based technology enables our customers to connect with us and learn more about what we do, whilst also providing us with additional insights and opportunities to reduce our impact and future proof our brand. This partnership further reinforces our commitment to being the UK’s leading ethical hydration brand.
