Brand owners & design

Amundsen Sports pilots digital product passport with Trimco Group

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:40:24 +0000

Premium outdoor lifestyle brand Amundsen Sports has partnered with Trimco Group to prepare for the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) expected to be enforced from 2028.

The ESPR stipulates the implementation of a Digital Product Passport (DPP), which requires collating vast quantities of data and information. With Trimco Group's expertise and support, the premium Norwegian outdoor lifestyle brand will trial how it can be operationally and data-ready for the DPP by implementing it on its new 100 percent merino wool Hero's Hide Collection base layer.

The QR code label on the garment in this first collection serves as a digital twin, sharing fiber content and tier traceability, as well as garment images, bringing Amundsen's first steps on its Ecodesign journey to life for shoppers and stakeholders alike.

An essential element of this trial is that all departments in Amundsen are involved. From IT to compliance, to operations, through to PR and marketing teams, each has its role to play to ensure a successful outcome. This will help pave the way to ensure Amundsen is prepared and ready to ensure goods access to the European market, once the detailed description of the delegated act is available in 2026/2027.

'Founded by Jørgen Amundsen, in honor of his relative, Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, the brand has a rich heritage of exploration and pioneership, so its future-centric approach to the ESPR and DPP journey, came as no surprise to us at Trimco Group and we are immensely proud to support it on this,' commented Camilla Mjelde, compliance and sustainability director at Trimco Group. 'By starting preparations and exploring the opportunity early, Amundsen can take full advantage of the many benefits that this digital tool offers, helping it navigate upcoming requirements with confidence.'

'Trimco Group has delivered an approach that aligns perfectly with our objectives. This initial pilot project allows us to explore the field of ESPR, without exhausting the organizational resources,' noted Antoine Thebault, CEO of Amundsen Sports. 'This project is the first step in our journey towards full product transparency. Trimco supports us in finding the best approaches and has already demonstrated future benefits to management and stakeholders.'

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Amundsen Sports pilots digital product passport with Trimco Group

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Norwegian brand prepares for 2028 EU sustainability regulation.

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Herma partners with grocery store chain to enhance salad labeling

Selah Zighelboim — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:22:57 +0000

Herma, a manufacturer of precision labeling machines for a variety of sectors, has partnered with a US grocery store chain to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of its clamshell salad packaging lines.

The collaboration centers on the integration of Herma’s 752C Wrap Labeler and 652C Top & Bottom Labeler into the retailer’s clamshell salad packaging lines. The two technologies are designed to meet the speed and precision demands of modern food production environments.

Following a successful trial and initial installation, the grocery chain has expanded its investment, with over two dozen Herma systems now fully integrated across multiple production facilities.

'Food labeling is about more than just presentation; it’s about consistency, reliability and operational speed,' said Gavin Purvis, director of sales and marketing at Herma US. 'Our 752C and 652C models are built to meet the demands of high-volume food producers, and we are thrilled to support a major grocery chain in delivering fresh, clearly labeled salad products to stores nationwide.'

The Herma 752C Wrap Labeler is suitable for applying full or partial wraparound labels to cylindrical or rounded containers. At the same time, the Herma 652C Top & Bottom Labeler offers synchronized precision for clamshell packs, applying labels on both the top and bottom surfaces in a single pass. Together, these machines provide a complete product for labeling retail-ready salad packs efficiently and accurately.

Benefits of Herma’s labeling systems include high throughput with consistent labeling accuracy, speeds of up to 60 products/minute with the 752C and up to 250 products/minute with the 652C, tool-free adjustments for fast changeovers between product formats, compact footprints that integrate into existing production lines, 100-300 x 100-250 x 50-200 mm for the 752C and 30-300 x 10-250 x 38-350 mm for the 652C, and user-friendly touchscreen interfaces and robust machine construction.

The growing presence of Herma US labeling systems in salad packaging lines reflects rising industry demand for automation that meets today’s consumer expectations for speed, consistency and quality in fresh food packaging.

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Herma partners with grocery store chain to enhance salad labeling

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Herma 752C and 652C labeling machines deliver speed, accuracy and reliability for clamshell salad pack lines.

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Herma 752C and 652C labeling machines deliver speed, accuracy and reliability for clamshell salad pack lines.

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The touch advantage

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:40:05 +0000

Brand owners & design 22 September 2025

The touch advantage

New data confirms what we’ve always suspected about premium packaging.

You’re about to go down a scientific and ultimately satisfying rabbit hole with me. That’s because I’m geeking out on the latest research study about the competitive advantages of touch and its impact on consumers’ buying behavior. So, hold onto your substrate, things are about to get real.

The ‘Touch Advantage’ study is a collaboration between Sappi and Clemson University. As a packaging designer and strategist, I co-authored the study, along with Dr Andrew Hurley, professor of packaging science at Clemson, and Sahil Bhayani, a master’s student, who wrote his thesis based on this research.

The study takes a deep dive into shoppers’ behaviors as they engage with packaging. It sets a new standard for a comprehensive understanding of the influence that packaging has on consumer actions and purchasing.

While many of us in the industry know intuitively that touch is important to shopper engagement, sales and post-purchase satisfaction, it has been just a hypothesis — until now. This study set out to prove this hypothesis, so that when we go to our stakeholders — to brands, to converters, to our clients and our clients’ clients — we can speak to measurable, quantifiable research about the return on investment of haptics and premium packaging.

Let’s dig into the details.

The research

The ‘Touch Advantage’ study sought to answer three overarching questions:

1. What is the correlation between touching a package and sales?

2. How does premium packaging affect consumer perceptions of product quality?

3. How does sensory marketing affect post-purchase experiences, customer satisfaction and reviews? (My next column in Labels & Labeling will cover the methodology, exploration and results of this question.)

We brought 60 participants into a staged retail space. We gave them a shopping list and asked them to buy a variety of products. The items included things like health and beauty items, confectionery foods and electronics.

We observed, counted, compared and measured to collect a variety of quantitative data, and compile statistics that can be used for ROI validation.

We asked the participants for their opinions about their shopping experiences, packaging and premium materials throughout the study to inform the qualitative data. That enabled us to compare the quantitative data (what we observed them doing) with the qualitative data (what they think and say they do). Oftentimes, the two contradict each other.

The third type of data that we collected is biometric data, which allowed us to measure and understand participants’ unconscious responses. When people checked in for the study, they were outfitted with eye-tracking glasses that enabled us to see exactly where the participants’ attention was, what each person was looking at, and for how long. Additionally, we could track what they touched and the amount of time they spent touching an item.

We also looked at facial expressions in order to record and analyze participants’ emotional responses.

The fourth type of data we collected is sales data. We took the biometric data and cross-referenced it with what each participant bought, so that we could see how a person’s attention and what they touched impacted their purchasing behavior. Further, we plugged that information into statistical models to determine repeatability. That is, would we get the same results if the study were conducted again? This part of the study enabled us to soundly predict various likelihoods of repeat behaviors and actions.

And thus, the hypothesis and theories were proven: The more people engage with packaging, the more likely they are to purchase the item. The data further showed that attention is the essential first step to a sale. That is, seeing starts the sale, and touching closes the sale. If you think about it, we cannot purchase an item in a store without touching it.

At this point, it’s important to review the neuroscience of touch, as I’ve written about in past articles. More than half of our brain is devoted to processing sensory experiences — our sense of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Our hands and fingertips have more touch receptors than any other place on our body. Psychologically, when you touch an item, it triggers a series of feelings, such as perceptions of quality and emotional attachment.

When you’re shopping and you reach out and touch an item, you activate a phenomenon called psychological ownership.

This means that simply touching an item increases our feeling of ownership. It’s the sense that ‘this is already mine’, even before you buy it. Once psychological ownership is activated, it triggers a second phenomenon: the endowment effect. The endowment effect refers to our willingness to pay more for an item that we either own or that we think we own.

Whether you’re a packaging designer, converter, finisher, substrate manufacturer or any other participant in the packaging a the endowment effect, and they’re willing to pay more for it. Even before they reach the checkout, they have already decided to purchase the item and consider it theirs.

Comparing premium and plain packaging

To connect these phenomena regarding touch to our study, we examined the differences in behavior between premium packaging and non-premium packaging. We defined premium packaging as being produced on the highest grade of substrate, Solid Bleached Sulphate (SBS). We further defined premium as having at least one embellishment, such as an embossing, a spot gloss or a foil.

For the non-premium packaging, we printed it on coated recycled board (CRB), a recycled board that is backed by a kind of chipboard and has a coating on the outside for four-color printing.

The key takeaway is untouched is unsold

In the study, we codified the nuances of how people touch. Do they touch but leave the package on the shelf? Do they touch and turn it to read a side or back panel? Do they pick it up by itself, or do they hold two items and compare them? Then we looked at touch frequency (the number of times someone touches a package) and touch duration (how long someone touches a package). In our study, people touched a package anywhere from three seconds to three minutes.

Here’s what we found: When a shopper touches a premium package two times, they are 50 percent more likely to purchase it.

Just two times, and that product is halfway to its new home. If a person touches it four times, it’s 90 percent likely to be purchased.

Do you think that non-premium packaging had the same results? It didn’t.

What we found is that a shopper needs to touch plain packaging three times to be 50 percent more likely to purchase it. That might seem negligible, but when consumers want to get in and out of a store quickly, when there are thousands of items competing for their attention, brands know they need to convert people from shopper to buyer as fast as possible. And if they want shoppers to choose their products as fast as possible, premium packaging has the competitive advantage.

Similarly, our research found that when someone touches a premium packaging for 17 seconds, they’re 50 percent more likely to purchase it. However, if that package is on CRB, it takes 41 seconds for them to be 50 percent more likely to purchase it. Again, premium packaging has a competitive advantage to conversion, when every second counts.

And that’s how the study led us to this principal understanding: While capturing attention is instrumental to starting the sale, touch is pivotal in closing the sale.

So, when it comes to the study’s overarching question: What is the correlation between touching a package and sales? The key takeaway is untouched is unsold.

On to the second question of our study: How does premium packaging affect people’s perceptions of quality? In this part of the study, we used a simple A/B testing method. We asked participants to purchase earbuds, but they weren’t the Apple brand. One product was sold in premium packaging and the other product was packaged in CRB. What we found is that people preferred the premium packaged earbuds three times more than the plain.

To examine this more deeply, we did a second test. We selected a category that people would be less familiar with, CBD serum, and we created three different brands, each with the same ingredients and claims. That way, when participants were comparing brands, the copy on the packaging was not a differentiator. Then, within each brand, the participant had four choices: three premium packages on SBS, with either a spot gloss, an embossing or a foil; and a non-premium CRB package.

Here’s what we found: people purchased the CBD serum in the premium packaging 13 times more than the plain packaging. In fact, 98 percent of our participants touched premium packaging, and 93 percent of them purchased the premium. Meanwhile, only 63 percent of people touched the plain package, and only 7 percent of our participants purchased it.

When you unpack that further, 37 percent of people did not even touch the plain packaging; 56 percent of the people touched the plain packaging but didn’t purchase it.

An intriguing data point that we hadn’t thought to research actually surprised us: When given the choice between the different types of premium packaging, nearly 60 percent of our participants purchased the one with a foil embellishment.

The key takeaway from the study’s second overarching question is clear: premium outperforms plain.

A quick recap

If I were going to make T-shirts with the study’s prime insights as they pertain to the overarching questions #1 and #2, the first shirt would say: Untouched is Unsold. Remember the data? When someone touches a premium package just twice, they’re 50 percent more likely to purchase it. The second T-shirt would say: Premium Outperforms Plain. Think about the CBD serum. It sold 13 times more when it was premium packaged. One thing is clear: the power and nuances of touch as it relates to shopper engagement, sales and post-purchase satisfaction are much more than a hypothesis; it’s science.

Stay tuned for a follow up to this article. I’ll cover the research, methodologies and results of the study’s third overarching question: How does sensory marketing affect the post-purchase experience, customer satisfaction and reviews? We’ll dive into e-commerce purchasing and consumers’ post-purchase thoughts, behaviors and actions.

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Walkers Chocolates introduces recyclable paper wrapper

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 08:27:56 +0000

UPM Specialty Papers has partnered with EvoPak to support Walkers Chocolates' transition from a plastic wrapper to recyclable paper-based packaging. This will help Walkers Chocolates achieve its sustainable packaging ambition while reducing plastic usage across its site.

The collaboration brings together UPM Solide Lucent 45 g/sqm barrier base paper with EvoPak’s RCM coating, creating a fiber-based barrier solution for chocolate and other demanding end-uses. Thanks to its oxygen and grease barriers, the new paper package fulfills Walkers Chocolates’ demanding standards for product quality.

Since 2024, Walkers Chocolates has provided recyclable paper packaging for the chocolates it manufactures and supplies for major retailers and international clients. Additionally, several of the company’s own products which are packed in UPM Solide Lucent with EvoPak’s RCM coating are available in stores across multiple UK retail chains and international markets.

UPM Solide Lucent is a strong and versatile barrier base paper with a unique look and feel. A smooth surface and high density offer superior properties for further converting and printing.

‘The printability of UPM Solide Lucent is really impressive and EvoPak’s RCM coating is a revolutionary solution for our industry,’ commented Tom Murtagh, commercial director, Walkers Chocolates. ‘We've achieved the same packaging line efficiency, maintaining the same speed as our previous plastic packaging materials with only minor adjustments.’

The exceptional performance of UPM Solide Lucent combined with EvoPak’s RCM coating, a unique, water soluble polymer, has enabled EvoPak to create a breakthrough solution that maintains the functional benefits of traditional plastic packaging.

‘We’re extremely happy with how the paper extrudes and the print quality in flexo is exceptional,’ said Tom Lock, CEO, EvoPak. ‘We are 100 percent happy in UPM Solide Lucent as the grade of choice for our future sustainable packaging development.’

Recyclable in existing fiber recycling infrastructure, the packaging supports the circular economy. The co-created solution with EvoPak's RCM coating and UPM Solide Lucent barrier base paper has achieved CEPI/4EG Technical Recyclability Score (v. 2.0 Jan 2025).

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Walkers Chocolates introduces recyclable paper wrapper

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UPM and EvoPak co-create recyclable packaging for the chocolate brand.

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Blossom Hill introduces linerless apricot packaging

Selah Zighelboim — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:40:37 +0000

Blossom Hill Packing, a US apricot grower, has introduced a new linerless pack format as part of its commitment to innovation and sustainability in fresh produce packaging.

The new packs feature linerless lids printed by Reflex Group, paired with TrayCycle trays supplied by Paper, Pulp & Film and printed by Superior Litho. These window tray designs were featured during the California apricot season at major retailers across the US and Canada.

A key driver of the project’s success is the Ravenwood Nobac 5000 applicator, which applies linerless fruit lids at a rate of over 50 packs per minute. This high-speed automation has delivered labor savings while ensuring consistent, precise application. Ravenwood’s linerless fruit lids offer a sustainable product that reduces material waste, enhances shelf impact and eliminates the need for backing paper, streamlining both production and recycling.

The TrayCycle trays, developed by Paper, Pulp & Film, are a fiber-based alternative to plastic clamshells, designed specifically for produce, prepared foods and foodservice applications. The trays offer a compelling combination of sustainability, functionality and shelf appeal and are fully recyclable and PFAS-free.

'We’re proud to support Blossom Hill Packing with a linerless solution that delivers both speed and sustainability. The Nobac 5000 not only reduces labor costs with high-speed automation but also helps set a new benchmark for product visibility and presentation in fresh produce,' said Tal Cloud, president and owner of PP&F.

Featuring a custom window design for maximum product visibility, the new linerless pack provides sustainable retail presentation in the North American fresh produce market. Ravenwood’s linerless labeling technology offers a sustainable, waste-free product by eliminating backing paper. It enables high-speed, efficient application with full-surface branding.

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B.Ready’s packaging balances aesthetics, function and sustainability

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 09:36:31 +0000

Brand owners & design 08 August 2025

B.Ready’s packaging balances aesthetics, function and sustainability

Today’s emerging brands aren’t just focused on product; they’re making sure their packaging reflects credibility, responsibility and trust.

When Chrissy Xu, founder of Chicago, Illinois-based b.Ready Gummies, started her gummy supplement brand designed to support recovery after a night of celebration, she knew the product had to do more than work well. It had to look and feel trustworthy, premium and purposeful.

‘I wanted the packaging to reflect the brand, minimalist yet scientific, with a sense of precision,’ Xu tells L&L. ‘The “post-celebration support” branding was intentional. I avoided using “hangover support” due to FDA restrictions since they classify hangover as a disease, which I find odd. Post celebration feels more positive and aligns with the idea that drinking isn’t inherently bad, it’s about moderation and enjoyment with friends.’

From the start, Xu aimed to build a brand that felt caring, refl ected in clean, functional packaging. ‘It looks like a health product, clean and trustworthy. Bright colors often signal something more recreational, like candy, rather than something designed for healing,’ she says.

Originally, b.Ready’s branding featured a pouch with bright blue and pink. But Xu quickly realized a cleaner, more minimal look was needed to communicate quality and trust.

Xu chose gummies for the product, a rare format in supplements. ‘Capsules aren’t ideal when you’re unwell, and shots taste bad. Gummies are easy, enjoyable, and feel like a treat,’ she says.

There are different levels of sustainability, and to save costs in the first production round, I opted for a recyclable material that needs to be processed at specific facilities

That choice came with complexity. ‘My product was actually more challenging to make from a product development perspective because I have a lot of herbal ingredients packed in it,’ Xu adds. ‘And it’s made with pectin, not gelatin, so it’s vegan. A lot of brands use gelatin because it’s cheaper and easier to work with.’

Packaging development

Sustainability was also a key concern. B.Ready’s current packaging is recyclable through the How2Recycle store drop-off program. ‘I learned so much along the way, especially about packaging materials,’ she says. ‘There are different levels of sustainability, and to save costs in the first production round, I opted for a recyclable material that needs to be processed at specific facilities.’

Xu worked with a consultant on both formulation and to fi nd a packaging converter. Her current format includes two servings per pouch, but she’s exploring a single-serving version for future retail.

Chrissy Xu, founder b.Ready Gummies

‘Retailers prefer single servings for convenience and a lower price point,’ she adds.

Before working with Xu, the converter mainly produced bottle packaging. However, since she wanted pouches, the company invested in a sealing machine to support the demand.

Adding a new machine for pouch sealing came with its challenges. ‘At first, they didn’t have the right machine, so they had to seal the pouches manually, literally counting out gummies by hand. Eventually, they invested in the right equipment, which added to the cost early on,’ she recalls.

Material choices were shaped by manufacturing capabilities. Paper would have required more manual work and added to costs, so decisions were based on what the packaging supplier could support.

The b.Ready pouches are digitally printed. The 12,500 units of pouches are made with Dow’s 3.40 MIL white Retain EVOH PE film, a high-barrier, recyclable single-resin PE structure. This is a sustainable, flexible packaging material for customers with access to drop-off centers.

Color consistency was another learning curve for Xu. ‘We’d do the design first, send it to the printer, and they’d send back a mockup of just the pouch, no product inside. I was worried about the white, since it’s more of a cream color. The digital version looked too bright, and the sample still came out slightly whiter than expected,’ Xu explains.

This caused confusion. ‘Unlike iconic colors like Coca-Cola red, mine was subtle and looked different on every screen,’ Xu says. ‘I wasn’t even sure what the "correct" color was.’

Xu also discovered the nuances of printing techniques and the impact of lighting on packaging perception, which might look different under different lighting.

One of the most time-consuming parts of the process was, simply, waiting.

‘Sometimes it takes two to three weeks just to get something sent over [to the converter]. There’s a lot of back and forth. I have to send the design and guidelines, then wait for them to print and ship. And if I wanted to fix the color, that would mean even more delays. It didn’t feel very easy to make changes,’ Xu concludes.

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Industry partners collaborate for The Label Trail at Labelexpo Europe

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:37:17 +0000

Eight companies, including Avery Dennison, Cerm, CarbonQuota, Esko, Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM), Kurz, Scribos and Xeikon have confirmed a collaboration on The Label Trail, a guided experience during Labelexpo Europe 2025.

This initiative provides attendees with an end-to-end exploration of the modern label production process, focusing on carbon measurement and sustainability, automation, and innovative smart packaging solutions.

From September 16 to 19, 2025, at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, visitors will have the opportunity to follow the fictional brand ‘Dancing Fish’ as it expands into the nutritional supplements market and needs new labels for its products to meet new market demands, while measuring and reducing its carbon footprint. To ensure product authenticity and consumer safety, brand protection features need to be integrated into the labels of its new nutritional supplements line.

The Label Trail encompasses every stage of the label creation journey, from job specification and order handling to prepress, automated carbon footprinting, digital printing, embellishment, and finishing.

Participants will gain insights into how low-impact materials, carbon measurement and sustainable processes contribute to reducing environmental impact, aligning with the industry's commitment to sustainability. The Label Trail also explores the integration of smart packaging technologies, demonstrating how digital content and traceability features enhance consumer engagement and meet regulatory compliance requirements. Furthermore, industry experts will provide valuable knowledge on topics such as carbon data management, regulatory compliance, and supply chain transparency.

Each guided tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and is limited to 20 participants to ensure an engaging and informative experience. With 14 time slots available over the four-day event, early registration is recommended to secure a preferred time.

The Label Trail aligns with Labelexpo Europe 2025’s focus on automation and sustainability, reflecting the industry's commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.

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Industry partners collaborate for The Label Trail at Labelexpo Europe

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The Label Trail encompasses every stage of the label creation journey for a fictional brand 'Dancing Fish' that needs new labels for its products.

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Ocado Retail first UK grocer to scale packaging traceability

Akanksha Meena — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:23:28 +0000

Ocado Retail has become the first UK grocer to scale packaging traceability through its partnership with Polytag, using UV invisible tag technologies to support a more transparent, data-led recycling system.

The online grocery retailer’s roll-out includes the full Ocado Retail milk range and marks a foundational step in enabling circularity at scale.

In partnership with Polytag, the UK’s leader in connected packaging and recycling technology, Ocado Retail has begun applying UV watermarks to Ocado Retail’s milk range. The UV tags are invisible to customers but readable at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and supply Ocado Retail with accurate, item-level data on where and when packaging is recycled.

These ‘tags’ will enable real-time, barcode-level insights into where, when, and how much of Ocado Retail’s packaging is being recycled, offering a level of visibility that has never-before been available at this scale.

The move builds on Ocado Retail’s position as a founding partner of Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, a world-first initiative that is reshaping how the UK’s packaging is tracked and accounted for once it enters the waste stream.

In parallel, more than 100 Ocado Retail own-label products now feature Polytag QR codes that provide consumers with clear recycling instructions and sustainability information, helping bridge the gap between packaging design and its end-of-life impact.

Through the program, Polytag has installed a network of plastic detection units (PDUs) in high-volume material recovery facilities (MRFs) across the UK and Northern Ireland. These units are now capable of monitoring nearly 50 percent of the UK’s household recycling stream, detecting UV-tagged items automatically and sharing live, verified data via the Polytag dashboard.

This granular information will deliver unprecedented insight into the lifecycle of Ocado Retail’s packaging, enabling it to benchmark real-world recycling rates and make informed decisions to meet the requirements of extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation, which calls for retailers to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of their packages, and reduce associated fees.

Data on the product type and location will provide a new level of traceability that can support real-time optimization of recycling strategies, ultimately improving recycling rates and reducing downcycling, where packaging is turned into less valuable material. As brands begin to take more responsibility for the recycling of their packaging under EPR, this data will prove vital in enabling the UK to reach its goal of a 65 percent recycling rate by 2035.

Ocado Retail’s collaboration with Polytag represents a major leap forward in how retailers engage with the lifecycle of their packaging, redefining responsibility in a world where environmental performance can no longer be estimated or assumed.

Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, said: ‘This is the beginning of an industry-wide shift towards a more transparent recycling system. Retailers and brands can no longer afford to be in the dark about what happens to their packaging. Ocado Retail’s scale and pace in rolling out this technology has established a template for the whole industry, and proves what’s possible, and necessary, as we enter a new era of accountability for FMCG brands. The data now exists. The infrastructure is in place. Ocado Retail is showing the industry how to use it.’

Laura Fernandez, senior sustainability manager at Ocado Retail, said: ‘Ocado Retail is constantly looking for data-driven approaches to reduce environmental impact, and we’re proud to be the first online retailer to introduce Polytag’s UV-watermark technology on our own brand range. The technology allows us to truly understand the full lifecycle of our packaging, and make meaningful decisions based on that data. Being able to track our products through the recycling system is a significant milestone as we pave the way toward more sustainable practices.’

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Ocado Retail first UK grocer to scale packaging traceability

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Ocado Retail has begun applying UV watermarks to Ocado Retail’s milk range.

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Vegums opts for compostable flexible packaging from Parkside

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:05:46 +0000

Vegan nutrition brand Vegums has opted for a new compostable flexible pouch from Parkside for its multivitamin gummies.

The new packaging uses film supplied by Futamura and is TÜV certified as home compostable, meaning it breaks down within 26 weeks in a domestic compost heap and within 12 weeks in an industrial composting facility. The new pouch has enabled Vegums to significantly reduce the amount of packaging material it uses, replacing its previous packaging that consisted of a flow wrap pack inside a cartonboard tube.

Reducing weight by eliminating the rigid tube was a huge benefit for Vegums, which runs a successful subscription service alongside traditional e-commerce and retail channels.
The compostable paper pouch utilizes an innovative water-based barrier coating to ensure the products are protected, preserving freshness and providing the best possible consumer experience.

Staci Bye, sales account manager at Parkside, said: ‘Consumers are increasingly prioritizing their health – but they’re also concerned about the health of the planet. Our high-performance compostable packaging delivers a true cradle-to-cradle solution that doesn’t compromise performance for sensitive nutrition applications.

‘It has been a great experience working with Vegums, as the team there has a clear vision of their identity as a provider of clean-label, responsibly-produced, plant-based products. We want to thank them for trusting us to deliver a solution that furthers that important vision.’

John Rushton, co-founder and CEO of Vegums, added: ‘Working with Parkside on this project has been fantastic – their experience in compostable packaging has helped us dramatically cut down on material use without sacrificing quality or customer experience. Staci and the Parkside team have been great partners through the process; responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping us advance our sustainability goals.’

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M&S adds Polytag’s UV tags to plastic packaging

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:53:19 +0000

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has become the first retailer in the UK to bring Polytag’s invisible UV tags to shelf – applying them to its best-selling four-pint milk products, now available in stores nationwide.

Invisible to consumers, Polytag’s UV tags have been printed onto the labels of M&S four-pint milk bottles. Once recycled by households, the bottles will enter recycling facilities where they will be scanned by Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units, with the retailer able to view live recycling data.

By ‘tagging’ products with invisible UV tags, M&S now gains access to real-time, barcode-level insights into when, where, and how much of its single-use plastic packaging is recycled by consumers. This data is designed to accurately track sustainability targets, improve the accuracy of recycling claims and strengthen compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations – potentially reducing associated costs through more precise reporting.

Over the past year, Polytag has partnered with recycling giants, such as Biffa and Re-Gen, to install UV Plastic Detection Units at the UK’s highest volume recycling facilities, covering up to 50 percent of the UK through investment into the Ecotrace Program, including a significant GBP 100,000 investment by M&S. By improving the traceability of packaging across the country, Polytag supports closed-loop recycling systems for single-use plastic, aiming to increase the quantity of good quality recycled plastic in the UK.

Alice Rackley, CEO 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 Program and for the wider UK recycling industry.’

Mark Hitschmann, head of packaging at M&S Food, said: ‘Reducing plastic is central to our Plan A journey to Net Zero and since 2022 we’ve removed over 500m units from our Foodhalls. We’re famous for innovation, both product led such as our Brain Food range and the latest viral sensation, the Strawberry and Crème sandwich, as well as in sustainability through our Plan A Accelerator Fund which allows us to apply our market-leading approach to further our journey to Net Zero. 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.’

Polytag’s invisible UV tags - a layer of data matrix codes - are plate-printed onto the milk bottles at standard line speeds by Interket UK.

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2 months 2 weeks ago

Short title

M&S adds Polytag’s UV tags to plastic packaging

Short summary

UK retailer's four-pint milk bottles now feature invisible UV tags, which enable it to track packaging through the recycling system.

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UK retailer's four-pint milk bottles now feature invisible UV tags, which enable it to track packaging through the recycling system.

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