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Stora Enso launches sustainable RFID tag technology for intelligent packaging

The technology enables paper-based radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, providing a plastic-free and recyclable solution for packaging authentication.

Intelligent Packaging by Stora Enso develops and delivers RFID technology, which allows the packaged product to be automatically tracked, traced and tamper-proofed throughout the entire supply chain. Stora Enso’s ECO technology enables the RFID tags to be produced on a 100 per cent fibre-based paper label, unlike traditional plastic tags, resulting in a lower carbon footprint for sustainability conscious B2B and B2C companies.

“Our ECO technology is unique in the sense that it offers a recyclable and plastic layer–free option for RFID end-users, thus enabling a digital and sustainable packaging infrastructure,” says Martin Ros, head of Stora Enso Intelligent Packaging.

By integrating the RFID tag with a paper label, the manufacturing process becomes more scalable and, according to the company, also more cost-effective – all without compromising on performance and reliability. The ECO tag can be recycled in an environmentally friendly way together with paper and board materials. Moreover, it offers high conductivity at a lower cost compared with graphene or silver-printed antennas. The ECO technology is available for use in multiple ongoing projects across multiple sectors.

The RFID used in Stora Enso’s Intelligent Packaging solutions can identify several hundred items in sub-second speed and without line-of-sight interaction. It also allows communication between the brand-owner and the end-user by use of a near-field communication–enabled smartphone. The solution provides complete reader systems and uses a cloud-based track-and-trace solution that runs on the Microsoft Azure platform.