UV-Tagged Recycling Labels

Polytag and Saica Flex Introduced UV Label Tracking

Polytag, Saica Flex and Paragon Inks introduced a system that prints invisible UV tags on packaging as UV label tracking, designed to capture item-level recycling data and meet regulatory reporting needs. The offering uses UV-fluorescent inks applied during label production, featuring machine-readable markers that are not visible to consumers but detectable by sorting equipment.

Partners developed the solution for labelstock and packaging lines, integrating Paragon Inks’ UV formulations with Saica Flex’s converting capabilities and Polytag’s tagging technology. The roll-out targeted standard label formats so converters and brands can add tags without redesigning graphics, and it supports existing waste-sorting hardware that reads UV markers.

For brands and waste managers this enables more granular recycling metrics and compliance with emerging EPR (extended producer responsibility) reporting; consumers see no change to packaging aesthetics. The approach advances traceable circularity by linking physical packs to recycling data at scale, aiding transparency and regulatory alignment.

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