In September 2026, Smart technologies like QR codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) are transforming labels from passive features on packaging to points of contact with consumers, but only if brands commit to a long-term digital content strategy, says Noam Assael, CPG business ventures director, Material Group, EMENA, at Avery Dennison.
Assael says that Technologies such as QR codes and RFID are evolving labels from passive identifiers into active digital gateways. For consumer packaged goods brands, this transforms the physical label into a powerful owned-media channel. Before the final purchase, such technologies help to provide a physical bridge, helping brands to unlock richer brand experiences helpful to build stronger consumer relationships and also improve supply chain and inventory management. Various other benefits include enhanced transparency, loyalty, consumer touchpoints, and frictionless checkout.
An example of this in action is the brand’s recent collaboration with The Consumer Goods Forum and Reposit to launch the world’s first city-scale, multi-retailer, and multi-brand reusable packaging collaboration in Ottawa, Canada. The collaboration will allow consumers to consistently buy, return, and reuse everyday packaging across multiple stores and product types. It involves shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand wash, dish soap, laundry liquids, and even home cleaning products.
The program, which aims to revolutionize packaging systems and drive meaningful change in the fight against plastic pollution, involves brands like L’Oréal, P&G, and Unilever. The program will help minimize infrastructure costs and operational complexity for businesses, along with enabling brand differentiation through creative labeling instead of bespoke packaging formats. The system uses a combination of QR, RFID, and ultra-high frequency (UHF) digital triggers. For consumers, a QR code is used to inform consumers where packaging can be returned, to facilitate the deposit return, and to provide coupons for future purchases. For managing and optimizing the system, UHF-RFID is used to track and generate data related to reusable packaging. In addition, UHF-RFID assists in automating processes, reducing costs, and ensuring scalability.
Integrating digital labels such as UHF, RFID, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) into the label or packaging allows for item-level intelligence and a strong data source for AI systems that help improve the supply chain. Such labels help to create a digital twin for every product; via cloud-based platforms like Avery Dennison’s atma.io, brands achieve end-to-end visibility, operational efficiency, waste reduction, and conditional monitoring. Interactive labels may also influence a few decisions at the point of sale by validating claims and providing instant verification of organic, fair trade, or carbon-neutral certifications that are often too complex for a physical label.
Such labels also allow customers to instantly access their reviews or tutorials, bridging the gap between the tactile experience of a physical store and the information-rich environment of e-commerce. Digital triggers such as near field communication and RFID can assure consumers that the product they are buying is original, safe to use, and not counterfeit.
The process has to pass through many difficulties. One of the major challenges is to ensure the easy application of digital triggers to packaging without slowing down high-speed production lines. Also, encoding and linking the digital ID to the specific product data must be seamless and automated to maintain operational efficiency. Another issue is ensuring that the digital trigger does not interfere with the recycling stream of the primary packaging. Avery Dennison is heavily focused on following the design for recycling guidelines to solve this.
One more triggering challenge faced by the brands in such procedures is the ability to keep digital content dynamic and relevant. A QR code is only as valuable as the experience it leads to; brands must commit to a long-term digital content strategy, updating content constantly. Lastly, one difficulty is shifting the view of a label from a “packaging cost” to a “data-generating asset” that provides return on investment through reduced operation cost, reduced waste, and increased sales.
Assael says that there are two primary regulations that will drive RFID adoption. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) means we are moving toward a world where every physical object has a digital birth certificate. Secondly, the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) mandates significant shifts toward a circular economy by enforcing strict reuse targets and boosting traceability.
It is also expected in the foreseeable future of the packaging industry that labels will act as the data entry point for AI-driven supply chains where predictive analytics use the data created by the digital triggers to automatically adjust production levels based on real-time consumer interaction and sell-through.
15 September 2026
11 September 2026
10 September 2026
09 September 2026