Polytag's Ecotrace Programme has been named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026, selected in the Reuse and Recycle category. The programme is one of 300 innovations on the annual list and is designed to give brands more visibility over what happens to their packaging after use.
The system works by activating invisible UV tags on packaging. Polytag equipment detects those tags as packaging passes through recycling facilities, capturing barcode-level proof of recycling. The tags are invisible to the naked eye and can be incorporated into packaging labels without requiring a fundamental change to established production workflows.
How the tracing works
The approach is aimed at packaging manufacturers, printers, converters and ink suppliers, and uses specialist fluorescent UV inks with existing printing processes to add traceability. The system operates using global open standards to capture data showing which tagged packaging reaches recycling facilities and where and when it is detected.
The tags can also carry additional information about a pack, such as its plastic melt flow temperature, packaging converter or food-grade status. Depending on the data encoded, the system can provide insights at pack-variant or batch level and across defined time periods.
Data for design and compliance
That data gives brands and retailers a clearer picture of how packaging performs after use, helping inform decisions about packaging design, material selection and recyclability. Polytag said the information can also help businesses build a stronger evidence base for packaging performance and recycling outcomes as Extended Producer Responsibility increases accountability for packaging placed on the market.
The technology is being used by Ocado and Waitrose, with UV-tagged packaging generating data at enabled recycling facilities.
Industry reaction
Debbie Waldron-Hoines, consultant CEO at the Flexographic Industry Association, said the recognition shows the role innovation can play in tackling some of the packaging industry's biggest challenges. For printers and converters, she said, technologies that connect packaging with data about what happens to it after use could open up new opportunities to support brands in assessing packaging performance and informing future design decisions. She added that it was encouraging to see innovation connecting the print and packaging sector with wider conversations about recycling and circularity.
Alice Rackley, chief executive of Polytag, said being named one of TIME's Best Inventions was an endorsement of work across the packaging value chain to make packaging lifecycles more visible. She said bringing together packaging producers, ink specialists, retailers and recycling operators connects expertise from across the industry to bridge the gap between how packaging is designed and what happens to it after use. According to Rackley, that collaboration is key to turning better data into better decisions, helping brands design packaging with its end-of-life in mind and supporting progress towards a more circular economy.