RFID Tags to Reduce Emissions, Waste and Ecosystem Destruction

Nature, Climate
Circular Economy

pulpatronics.com/

Every year, billions of conventional RFID tags are used to track and manage inventory – most made with aluminium antennas and plastic substrates. Once removed from products, these single-use tags typically end up in landfill, wasting finite resources and releasing harmful emissions. Mining and processing the metals alone drives deforestation, pollutes waterways, and disrupts fragile ecosystems.

PulpaTronics replaces this extractive model with a paper-only, metal-free RFID tag that works seamlessly in existing supply chains. Its patented process laser-etches a carbon-based conductive pattern directly onto paper, without the need for mined metals. The result is a tag that’s fully recyclable 6–7 times before being composted – no specialist recycling stream required.

This innovation reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 67% compared to conventional tags, with the potential to prevent 300 million kg of e-waste and 280 million kg of CO₂ emissions annually by 2029. By removing the need for metal mining and complex multi-material manufacturing, PulpaTronics reduces environmental damage and keeps hazardous waste out of land and water systems.