Our Environment

The RFID industry, like many tech sectors, has made great efforts to "go green". The latest development is the thin-film battery for for RFID tags. RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, makes use of small RFID transponders that can be place on or in a product, person, or animal to track their location through the use of radio waves.

There are two types of RFID transponders. Passive transponders have no internal power supply and rely on the small amount of energy generated by the incoming signal to power up and respond. Active transponders are more complex and carry a small battery that gives the integrated circuits enough power to broadcast in more challenging environments, such as deep within a warehouse or inside an animal. These signals are picked up by RFID readers and then usually relayed to a database.

The new generation of thin-film batteries are made from environmentally friendly, non-toxic materials and can extend the life of RFID chips by ten fold. Previous RFID batteries only lasted up to 5 years and then the battery and transponder were of no use. Thin-film batteries can be recharged again and again eliminating waste and providing the capability to track inventory for decades.