Collaboration integrates invisible UV tag technology into in-mould labels, enabling packaging traceability, improved recycling data, and advanced plastic sorting capabilities.
Polytag has partnered with MCC Global IML, a division of Multi-Color Corporation (MCC), to expand the use of traceable in-mould label (IML) solutions for plastic packaging. The collaboration will integrate Polytag’s invisible UV tag technology directly into in-mould labels, allowing brands to improve packaging traceability while supporting the transition to a circular plastics economy.
The partnership marks the first time Polytag’s proprietary UV tag technology has been incorporated into IML packaging, enabling plastic containers to carry invisible digital identifiers without affecting package design or product appearance. These tags can be detected at material recovery facilities, providing valuable information about packaging movement through the recycling system.
By capturing real-time recycling data, the technology enables brand owners to better understand how their packaging is collected, sorted, and recycled. The resulting insights can support sustainability reporting, improve packaging design decisions, and help companies prepare for evolving regulations such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and recycled-content requirements.
The solution also enhances plastic sorting capabilities by enabling recycling facilities to identify tagged packaging with greater accuracy. Improved sorting can increase the recovery of high-quality recyclable plastics, helping produce cleaner recycled material streams suitable for use in new packaging applications.
According to the partners, combining MCC’s expertise in premium in-mould labelling with Polytag’s connected packaging technology creates a scalable solution for food, beverage, personal care, and household product packaging. The collaboration aims to help consumer brands improve traceability without requiring changes to existing package designs or manufacturing processes.
As governments and brand owners place greater emphasis on packaging transparency and circularity, digitally connected packaging technologies are becoming increasingly important. The Polytag-MCC partnership demonstrates how intelligent labelling can improve recycling performance, provide measurable sustainability data, and support the development of more efficient closed-loop recycling systems.