Implications and opportunities

Printed paper-based RFID tags open new avenues for retailers and distributors to improve inventory management, enhance the customer experience, and improve anti-theft protection. In the retail sector, the widespread use of RFID tags supports smart inventory systems and quick checkout processes. Companies and customers can have real-time information and insights into stock availability, order status, and resupply times. A store full of products with printed labels and RFID tags would enable a truly transformative shopping experience. Customers could simply pick up the products they want and be charged an accurate amount based on the RFID tags. No checkouts, queues, or inconvenience. The standard way of producing RFID tags is through etching using. This is widely acknowledged as an environmentally unfriendly production method – and has a limited future. The Chinese government recently banned the use of etching and will refuse permissions for new factories using this technique. The ease of recycling paper tags reduces millions – and potentially billions – of plastic RFID products from being produced, massively cutting a carbon footprint. Printed electronic labels demonstrate strategic leadership on sustainability while improving customer service. Everyone wins.