FOUNDER(S): CHLOE SO & BARNA SOMA BIRO

THE COMPANY

PulpaTronics was developed by four graduate students as a master project. The work took place between July and December 2022 as a final year group project for the course MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering taught jointly by Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. The underlying motivation behind the self-developed brief was to design more sustainable alternatives to short-lived electronic devices.

At PulpaTronics, we embrace the idea of substraction: a concept that adds value by removing rather than adding. We wanted to leverage what existed in nature, rather than to impose more human strain to it. Upon discovering the impacts of single-use electronics, we landed on metal-less RFID tags. Our goal is to push technology forward by minimising resource depletion. Innovating with nature is what gets us excited, but finding solutions that make sustainability and profitability work is what makes us different.

THE PROBLEM

Conventional radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are simple electronic circuits that comprise a silicon microchip for information storage, a metal antenna for communication, and a plastic or paper substrate for structural support. These tags are embedded in products, allowing identification through radio signals. RFID tags are widely adopted for item tracking and inventory management in commerce, transportation and logistics.

Of the 18B RFID tags produced in 2019, 12B were manufactured for the $1.7T fashion industry. The RFID tags found in clothing tags are single-use and end up in landfills once the consumer removes them. This leads to a significant waste of natural resources and energy, increased environmental damage, CO2 emissions and e-waste.

 THE SOLUTION

APulpaTronics develops sustainable RFID tags that are chipless and metal-free. RFID technology has been instrumental in product identification and tracking, however, more than 18 bn of these single-use tags end up in landfill annually after a short lifespan.

Unlike conventional RFID tags that are made of metal antennas, silicon microchips and layers of adhesives, our laser technology enables the RFID tag to be chipless and metal-free. By doing so, we reduce components, simplify manufacturing and enable a more circular economy. We estimate that we can reduce CO2 emissions by 70% and cut costs by 2X. We’re starting with the retail sector first, but look to expand into packaging and healthcare applications.

TOP TIPS

Synthesize insights quickly and be comfortable pivoting and adapting quickly.

ALMUNI : Imperial College London & Royal College of Art