Polytag, a technology business specialising in sustainability initiatives, has bolstered its partnership with Ocado Retail.
Over 60 of the online retailer’s food, drink, and household products now feature Polytag’s Digital Link QR codes that allow consumers to access additional product information and sustainability practices by scanning the codes with their smartphones.
The expanded range of Polytag-enabled packaging follows on from a project Polytag ran with Ocado in 2023 to deliver a world-first nationwide digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) trial. Over eight weeks, 20,000 20p rewards were given to consumers that had purchased – and recycled – Ocado’s milk bottles via standard kerbside collection methods. Post-trial surveys revealed that 93% of the pilot users felt ‘positively’ towards the idea of a DDRS in the UK.
The initiative will now see the online grocer package dry food and cleaning products in refillable containers to reduce single-use plastic and encourage reuse behaviours. Polytag’s QR codes will be used to educate customers on how to take part in the refill scheme and return their products.
Polytag’s QR codes also provide brands and retailers with a direct-to-consumer marketing channel. Once people scan the codes with their smartphone, they are taken to a landing page with bespoke and specific information on the product.
Ocado Retail uses the regularly updated landing pages to engage with and educate its customers on key sustainability topics such as sourcing initiatives, recycling and food waste prevention. The landing page technology also supports links, videos, and surveys.
Laura Fernandez, Senior Packaging and Sustainability Manager at Ocado Retail, said: “We are proud to be the first major supermarket to pilot an online reusable packaging scheme. Polytag’s QR codes give us the opportunity to explain how re-using can eliminate single-use packaging, and how easy and convenient the Ocado solution is, right to their doors. We continue to expand the number of Ocado Own Range products featuring Polytag QR codes, reflecting our growing focus on digital solutions to communicate key information and messaging to our customers.”
Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, added: “Surpassing 60 products with Ocado Retail – including its new refillable options – is a step forward in making sustainable shopping more accessible. By integrating our Digital Link QR codes, powered by GS1, we’re providing new ways to quantify the success of sustainability programmes and enabling the reuse process all through accurate tracing of packaging through the supply chain.
“Our world-first trial in 2023 was just the beginning of all of this. As the largest deployer of GS1-powered QR codes in the UK grocery market, Ocado has found our platform easy to integrate, enhancing their packaging design with endless digital possibilities. We’re beyond proud to support Ocado Retail in delivering both convenience and an impactful sustainability message.”
