The Contribution of RFID to Circular Economy Deployment: A Literature Review

The paper offers an extensive review of literature regarding the role of RFID technology in promoting the circular economy (CE). Initially, it underscores the urgent need for resource recirculation to minimize waste and prevent the depletion of natural resources. Subsequently, it explores how RFID can improve traceability and enhance the efficiency of supply chains. The paper also delves into various CE frameworks, particularly focusing on the 9R framework, which encompasses strategies like Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, among others. The literature is classified by industry sector, study type, and CE principles that RFID could enable or facilitate. Additionally, the paper highlights the significance of digital technologies in facilitating the transition to CE and examines whether RFID could be considered a key CE enabler within the IoT infrastructure. The findings confirm that RFID has the potential to support a range of CE strategies across various industry sectors, emphasizing sustainability and efficient resource use. The paper concludes by synthesizing RFID’s contributions to the CE transition thus far and identifies future research areas, such as exploring approaches that incorporate other digital technologies alongside RFID to enhance and accelerate the CE transition.