TRACE - Technology enabled Reusable Assets for a Circular Economy

务实半导体为超低成本柔性电子产品开发了一种独特的技术平台，可以连接数万亿个物体。这项技术使得将RFID添加到低价值的大容量产品包装中，在整个生命周期中识别和跟踪对象成为可能。**我们对TRACE(循环经济的技术使能可重复使用资产)项目的愿景**是应用超低成本的RFID技术来跟踪可重复使用的食品级塑料包装，鼓励重复使用并支持高度可扩展的基础设施。这种大规模解决方案有可能使包装重复使用成为规范-消费者将不再将塑料视为一次使用即可销毁的东西，而是一种可以多次重复使用的宝贵资产。TRACE解决了目前阻碍大规模重复使用的挑战：*了解消费者的看法以及如何最好地鼓励采用*开发健壮且优化的可重复使用包装设计*在包装生命周期中实现物品级别的可追溯性*确保包装保持安全和适合目的*开发端到端收集模式，分类和清洗基础设施*量化从一次性使用到可重复使用包装的整体环境影响核心技术创新是使用务实的超低成本RFID标签来实现包装重复使用模式。这些标签提供机器可读的唯一代码，允许在多个重复使用周期中自动识别和跟踪个别物品。生成的丰富数据可以支持消费者采用和基础设施实施，以实现最佳环境影响。例如：资产在系统内的移动、循环次数、包装来源和立法报告。该项目将解决几个重要的技术挑战，包括：*建立**最低可行包装**用于食品级重复使用*嵌入标签**以确保整个包装生命周期的耐用性**在TRL7\演示**自动分拣**-**系统**。该项目将评估整个解决方案的**净*环境影响**，并通过小规模演示演示该系统。展示了该系统如何通过包装重用系统来跟踪包装。虽然可重复使用的包装是我们的初始目标，但项目中的许多组件可以扩展以提高一次性包装的回收和升级循环。TRACE由务实半导体牵头。合作伙伴包括Ken Mills Engineering(磁流变液系统的领先制造商)、Recoup、谢菲尔德大学先进制造研究中心(AMRC-Cymru)和格兰瑟姆可持续未来中心。

Pragmatic Semiconductor has developed a unique technology platform for ultra-low-cost flexible electronics that could connect trillions of objects. The technology makes it viable to add RFID to low-value high-volume product packaging, to identify and trace objects throughout the whole lifecycle.**Our vision** for project TRACE (Technology-enabled Reusable Assets for a Circular Economy), is to apply ultra-low-cost RFID technology to trace reusable food-grade plastic packaging, encouraging reuse and enabling highly-scalable infrastructure.This large-scale solution has the potential to make packaging re-use the norm - consumers would no longer see the plastic as something to use once and destroy but as a valuable asset to re-use many times.TRACE addresses the challenges that currently prevent large-scale re-use:* Understanding consumer perception and how best to encourage adoption* Developing robust and optimised re-usable packaging designs* Enabling item-level traceability throughout the packaging lifecycle* Ensuring packaging remains safe and fit for purpose* Developing an end-to-end model for collection, sorting and washing infrastructure* Quantifying the overall environmental impact of moving from single-use to re-usable packagingThe core technology innovation is the use of Pragmatic’s ultra-low-cost RFID tags to enable a packaging re-use model. These tags provide machine-readable unique codes that allow automated identification and tracking of individual items throughout multiple re-use cycles. Rich data generated can support consumer adoption and infrastructure implementation for optimal environmental impact. For example: the movement of assets within the system, number of cycles, packaging provenance and legislative reporting.This project will tackle several significant technical challenges including:* Establish **minimum viable packaging** for food-grade re-use* **Embed tags** within the plastic to ensure durability throughout the packaging life-cycle* Demonstrate an **automated sorting**-**system** at TRL7\.The project will assess the **net** **environmental impact** of the entire solution and demonstrate the system via a small-scale demonstration, showing how the system could be used to trace packaging through the packaging reuse system.Although reusable packaging is our initial target, many components within the project can be extended to improve recovery and upcycling of single-use packaging. TRACE is led by Pragmatic Semiconductor. Partners includes Ken Mills Engineering (leading manufacturer of MRF systems), RECOUP, and Sheffield University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC-Cymru) and the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures.