Helitags RFID Tags in Injection-molded Plastic Resin that can be Composted

PULR Technologies Inc. has invented and patented the Helitag RFID platform. It's an RFID tag that doesn't require the use of a Ty-Rap, and is more sustainable because it's reusable and doesn't require tail-cutting. The Ty-Rap is consumed at a rate of 100 billion units every year, leading to 100 billion Ty-Rap tails in the garbage can and not recycled. The aim of the project is to find a recipe for an injectable plastic that is not only biodegradable, but also compostable in an uncontrolled environment. The project involves verifying the strength of Helitag as expected by end-users, including its survival in humid horticultural environments. RFID tagging applications in horticulture are in great demand for food traceability and real-time inventory management to avoid waste. Ensuring compostability will require delaminating the RFID chip from the RFID tag and using biodegradable conductive ink (carbon and graphene). These other aspects of the project are the subject of an Agritech Stream 1 application. The aim is to choose the right resin and to understand the trade-off between biodegradability and compostability.