TRACE - Technology enabled Reusable Assets for a Circular Economy

实用半导体公司开发了一种独特的技术平台，用于超低成本的柔性电子产品，可以连接数万亿个物体。该技术使得将RFID添加到低价值的大批量产品包装中，在整个生命周期中识别和跟踪对象成为可能。我们对TRACE项目（循环经济技术支持的可重复使用资产）的愿景是应用超低成本的RFID技术来追踪可重复使用的食品级塑料包装，鼓励重复使用并实现高度可扩展的基础设施。这种大规模的解决方案有可能使包装再利用成为常态——消费者将不再把塑料视为使用一次就销毁的东西，而是将其视为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*开发稳健和优化的可重复使用的包装设计*在整个包装生命周期中实现物品级可追溯性*确保包装保持安全和适合用途*开发端到端收集模型，*量化从一次性包装转向可重复使用包装的整体环境影响核心技术创新是使用Pragmatic的超低成本RFID标签来实现包装重复使用模型。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单个项目。生成的丰富数据可以支持消费者采用和基础设施实施，以实现最佳的环境影响。例如：系统内资产的移动、循环次数、包装来源和立法报告。该项目将解决几个重大的技术挑战，包括：*建立**最低可行包装**用于食品级重复使用** *在塑料中嵌入标签**以确保整个包装生命周期的耐用性**演示**自动分拣**-**系统**在TRL7\。该项目将评估整个解决方案的**net** **环境影响**，并通过小规模示范展示该系统，展示如何通过包装再利用系统使用该系统来跟踪包装。虽然可重复使用的包装是我们的最初目标，但项目中的许多组成部分可以扩展到提高一次性包装的回收和升级利用。TRACE由Pragmatic Semiconductor领导。合作伙伴包括肯·米尔斯工程公司（MRF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.