Marks and Spencer has introduced invisible, ultraviolet tags on some milk bottles to track them through the recycling system.
The supermarket is the first to roll out the packaging tags, developed by recycling technology firm Polytag, on shop shelves.
They have been printed onto the labels of M&S’s four-pint, milk bottles available now in nationwide stores, with the aim of boosting recycling rates.
Once recycled by households, bottles will be scanned by Polytag’s plastic detection units if the recycling facility has been retrofitted with the technology.
M&S will then be able to view live recycling data, accessing real-time, barcode-level insights into the recycling of its single-use, plastic packaging.
Polytag said the data is designed to accurately track sustainability targets, improve the accuracy of recycling claims and strengthen compliance with regulations that require businesses to pay for the management and recycling of their products’ packaging waste.
The hope is also that the tags can help to reduce M&S’s costs under these extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules through more precise reporting.
M&S has also invested £100,000 into Polytag’s Ecotrace programme, which aims to drive the rollout of a nationwide, invisible UV tag reader network.
Co-op, Waitrose and Aldi have also been working with Polytag to introducing UV tags to their products.
Alice Rackley, chief executive of Polytag, said: “Retailers and brands can no longer afford to lose sight of packaging the moment it leaves their supply chain.
“With EPR now in effect, we’re entering a new era where real data is not just helpful, it’s essential.
“By tagging products and tracking their journey through the recycling system, we’re creating a clear line of sight from shelf to sorting facility.
“M&S taking this first-to-shelf step signals not only a commitment to transparency, but a real shift in how the industry approaches responsibility.
“It’s a major milestone for the Ecotrace programme and for the wider UK recycling industry.”
Mark Hitschmann, head of packaging at M&S Food, said: “We expect to gain more data and insight around what is happening to our packaging in the real world through our work with Polytag.
“Our customers consistently tell us that reducing plastic is very important to them so this is another way they can trust that M&S is doing the right thing to help them easily make more sustainable choices when they shop with us.”