RFID and shopping trolleys: why plastic is the winning choice

In the world of large-scale retail, the digitalization of processes and the spread of RFID technologies are revolutionizing store management, making checkout, inventory, and product traceability operations more efficient. In this context, one often overlooked yet crucial element is the material of the shopping trolleys.

Traditional metal trolleys act as a physical barrier to the radio waves used by RFID systems. Metal reflects and shields electromagnetic waves, creating what is known as a “Faraday cage” effect, which interferes with communication between product tags and RFID readers. The result is less reliable reading, operational slowdowns, and the need to increase reader power or install additional antennas to compensate for interference.

Plastic trolleys, on the other hand, are completely transparent to radio waves, allowing clear, precise, and simultaneous reading of RFID tags even when products are placed in different areas of the trolley. This results in faster and more accurate scanning processes, smoother self-checkout flows, and more efficient inventory control.

As smart retail solutions continue to evolve, the full-plastic trolley stands out as the ideal choice for stores looking to combine innovation, sustainability, and optimal RFID performance. Thanks to its non-conductive nature and its lightness, strength, and versatility, it offers the most effective response to the needs of modern retail.

Plastimark provides full-plastic trolleys that are lightweight, durable, and versatile, designed to optimize store traceability and automation systems with a practical approach to sustainable innovation.

L’acronimo TÜV, Technischer Überwachungsverein, può tradursi in “Associazione tecnica di sorveglianza” finalizzata alla sicurezza dei prodotti e della collettività. Fondato in Germania nel 1866 è oggi uno dei maggiori enti indipendenti di certificazione, test ed ispezione a livello mondiale, punto di riferimento tecnico per le aziende che operano nei vari settori della produzione e dei servizi. I consumatori moderni prestano molta più attenzione al tema della sicurezza e della qualità dei prodotti che utilizzano, di conseguenza il mercato per fabbricanti e distributori si sta spingendo verso la proposta di prodotti certificati e dotati di maggiori garanzie di affidabilità rispetto alla semplice verifica dei requisiti minimi di sicurezza richiesti dalla legge. Questa attenzione verso il tema di sicurezza permette, oltre al rispetto delle norme, di ottenere maggiore visibilità e conquistare il favore e la fiducia dei consumatori nei confronti del proprio prodotto e del brand. Ottenere la certificazione, offre la possibilità ai fabbricanti e distributori di apporre sul prodotto certificato il marchio TÜV, conosciuto e riconosciuto a livello internazionale, migliorando così il posizionamento sul mercato del prodotto ed evidenziando la sua costruzione in conformità a tutti i requisiti di sicurezza e la verifica periodica.

The acronym TÜV, Technischer Überwachungsverein, can be translated into "Technical Inspection Association" provides vehicular inspection and product certification services. Originated in Germany in 1866, today it's one of the largest independent certification, test and worldwide inspection and a technical reference point for companies that operate in various sectors of production and services. Modern consumers pay much more attention to the safety and quality of the products they use; therefore the market for producers and distributors is moving towards certified products with more guarantees of reliability, compared to the simply verification of the minimum safety requirements required by law. This focus on the safety issue allows, in addition to compliance with the rules, to gain more visibility, but also to win consumers’ favour and trust towards their product and brand. Obtaining certification offers to producers and distributors the possibility of label on the certified product the mark TÜV. TÜV, internationally known and recognised, improves the product’s market positioning and highlights its construction in compliance with all safety requirements and periodic verification.

L'acronyme TÜV, Technischer Überwachungsverein, peut être traduit en "Association de surveillance technique" visant à garantir la sécurité des produits et de la société. Fondé en Allemagne en 1866, la société TÜV est aujourd'hui l'un des plus grands organismes indépendants de certification, de test et d'inspection au monde, elle représente un point de référence technique pour les entreprises qui opèrent dans les différents secteurs de la production et de services. De nos jours les consommateurs accordent beaucoup plus d'attention à la sécurité et à la qualité des produits qu’ils utilisent, par conséquent les fabricants et les distributeurs s'orientent vers la proposition de produits certifiés qui garantissent une meilleure fiabilité par rapport aux exigences minimales requises par la loi. Cette attention portée sur la sécurité permet, au-delà du respect de la réglementation, d'obtenir une plus grande visibilité et de gagner la confiance des consommateurs par rapport au produit et à l’enseigne. L'obtention de la certification offre aux fabricants et aux distributeurs la possibilité d'apposer sur le produit certifié la marque TÜV, connue et reconnue au niveau international, améliorant ainsi le positionnement du produit sur le marché et mettant en évidence sa production en conformité avec toutes les exigences de sécurité et sa vérification périodique.

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. This term refers to those technologies that allow the remote recognition of objects, animals and people using radio waves. A radio frequency identification system consists of two main components: a transponder or tag, and a reader. The tag is the label that is attached to the object. It is here that all the information related to it is contained and that uniquely identifies it. The data, stored in a microchip, can be read thanks to an antenna that receives and transmits radio signals to and from the RFID reader. The microchip and the antenna together form the RFID tag and are held together on a physical support. The reader is the device, either fixed or portable, used to read the RFID tag, able to convert the radio waves of the tag into a digital signal that can be transferred to a computer. In order to communicate between them, the tag and the reader must be tuned to the same frequency. Plastimark products are designed to be fully compatible with RFID technology, being able to count on the undeniable advantage provided by plastic not to interfere with the electronic reading of the label, something more likely to occur with metal trolleys (“Faraday cage” phenomenon).

RFID signifie Radio Frequency Identification, ou identification par radiofréquence. Ce terme désigne les technologies qui permettent la reconnaissance à distance d'objets, d'animaux et de personnes à l'aide d'ondes radio. Un système d'identification par radiofréquence se compose de deux composants principaux : un transpondeur ou tag, et un lecteur. Le tag est l'étiquette qui est apposée sur l'objet. C'est là que se trouvent toutes les informations concernant l’objet en question et qui l’identifie de manière unique. Les données, mémorisées dans une micropuce, peuvent être lues grâce à une antenne qui reçoit et transmet des signaux radio vers et depuis le lecteur RFID. La micro puce et l'antenne forment le tag RFID et sont tenues ensemble sur un support physique. Le lecteur est le dispositif, fixe ou portable, utilisé pour lire la puce RFID, capable de convertir les ondes radio de la puce en un signal numérique qui peut être transféré vers un ordinateur. Pour communiquer entre eux, la puce et le lecteur doivent être réglés sur la même fréquence. Les chariots en plastique sont conçus afin d’être entièrement compatibles avec la technologie RFID, car ce matériau n'interfère en aucun cas avec la lecture électronique de l'étiquette, comme au contraire il peut plus facilement arriver avec les chariots métalliques (phénomène de "cage de Faraday").