Kraft Heinz has begun using Polytag’s invisible UV-tagging system on plastic packaging in the UK, in a move aimed at giving the company much sharper visibility over what happens to its products after they are discarded. According to Packaging Reporter, the initiative sits within Polytag’s Ecotrace programme and is designed to track single-use packaging through the recycling chain at barcode level, turning post-consumer waste into usable data for brand owners and recyclers alike.

The first phase will cover Heinz Beanz and Heinz Tomato Ketchup packs, with the prospect of expanding to other product lines if the pilot proves successful. LetsRecycle reported that Kraft Heinz is the first branded food manufacturer to join Ecotrace, and said the company wants to use the technology to measure recycling rates, recovered volumes and the routes its packaging takes through waste systems.

Polytag says the tags are invisible to shoppers but can be read at sorting facilities equipped with specialist detection units. The company has positioned the system as a response to growing pressure on producers to show more evidence of recyclability and end-of-life performance, rather than relying on estimates. Packaging Europe reported that Kraft Heinz will receive real-time insights into whether its packs are being recycled, how much is recovered and through which waste streams the material passes.

The tie-up also fits into a wider build-out of Polytag’s infrastructure across the UK recycling sector. The company has already worked with retailers such as Ocado Retail and Waitrose, while also linking up with waste businesses including Biffa and Pellenc ST. Polytag has separately said similar technology has already delivered full detection of tagged bottles at a major recycling facility in France, a result it has used to argue that UV tagging can support extended producer responsibility requirements and improve sortation at scale.