Green-powered: RFID tags do their part for the environment
By Manufacturing Business Technology Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 4/21/2008 11:36:00 AM
AIM Global, the worldwide industry trade association and authority on automatic-identification and mobility solutions, calls the current use of RFID technologies in green-related applications one of the most promising market segments in the industry today.
The association also predicts consumers will see significant increased usage of RFID in environmentally friendly programs worldwide over the next 18 months.
The announcement was made to coincide with today’s celebration of Earth Day 2008, the worldwide event, organized by the Earth Day Network (EDN), that annually promotes environmental citizenship, year-round progressive action, and positive changes to local, national, and international environmental policies.
Currently, RFID is being used to advance the efficiency and effectiveness of numerous important city, county, and statewide environmental programs, including the monitoring of vehicle emissions, the collection of recyclable materials, the reuse of packaging resources and electronic parts, and the disposal of electronic waste. In addition, RFID continues to provide greater visibility into the supply chain by helping companies more efficiently track and manage inventories, thereby reducing unnecessary transportation requirements and fuel usage. Specific examples include:
• Vehicle emissions monitoring using RFID is being implemented at this summer’s Summer Olympics in Beijing to help supervise air quality. Emissions tests are required for all vehicles traveling in and out of Beijing. An RFID tag is embedded in a decal which is placed on the windshield if the vehicle passes the emissions test. A handheld reader is used to check vehicles on the road. This application will continue even after the 2008 Summer Olympics to help reduce pollution in the city.
• RFID has been deployed to identify electronic subcomponents of PCs, mobile phones, and other consumer electronics products to increase the reuse of these parts and reduce e-waste.
• RFID tags are used to identify packaging materials, and enable automated garbage sorting to turn waste material back into raw material.
• RFID labeling technology is currently undergoing testing on 3,000 reusable plastic containers used to ship produce from three states to Wal-Mart stores in Texas. The testing is being conducted to ensure that the RFID labels and tags can withstand multiple shipment cycles and effectively be reused.
• Several U.S. States are using recycling bins with embedded RFID chips. Bins are scanned and weighed right at the curb. An RFID-enabled system tallies credits for households that are above average for recycling. The system then issues "recycle dollars" that can be used at participating businesses for discounts.
"While RFID has been around for over half a century, we continue to see innovative and timely applications for the technology, particularly with environmentally friendly programs administered by nonprofits and government agencies," said Dan Mullen, president of AIM Global. "Clearly, these examples of green applications powered by RFID are just a few important ways in which RFID is contributing to environmental conservation."
