Packaging: A Change Continuum

Smart labels

Despite the amount of attention they have claimed in recent years, RFID and related “intelligent” on-pack technologies have still not been fully commercialized. Niche applications, like airline baggage tags and cradle-to-grave security tracking of ethical pharmaceuticals have certainly embraced RFID. However, full-scale, item-level adoption of the system in retailing and other logistical applications has been slow—still hampered by the cost of the tags, which is perceived to be too high. Other on-pack functional add-ons, like time/temperature indicators and color-changing freshness indicators offer real possibilities, but to date, their growth has also been constrained by cost.