RFID Technology for certificated timber transport.
Guaranteeing the chain of custody in forest products is of a great importance in order to obtain their certification. The traceability of products is increasingly simple through new technologies and knowing where our product is in real time it is already possible through GPS and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
The last one is currently being used by large worldwide logistic operators, such as DHL or UPS, and by other different companies such as INDITEX group. The basis of RFID is to place tags with a micro radio transponder that emits steadily on the products, in such a way that the location of the product is known in real time, having a great control of the shipments or of manufactured goods, providing the improvement of internal logistics and great transparency for the final customer.
This technology is perfectly compatible with the forestry industry and especially if we talk about product certification. The placement of these tags at the cutting and loading time ensures that the origin of the timber is from well managed forests and not from illegal cutting. In addition, by having continuously updated data on transportation routes, it is possible to improve logistical routes and to make lower the costs, to calculate the carbon footprint of products more easily and accurately, and to inform the customer of the place in which their products are located.
It’s posible to find different types of tags on the market. The most traditional are flat plastic stickers that are oriented to manufactured products and parcels, which would be recommended for non-timber products. But we also find RFID systems in the shape of a nail which are more resistant to shocks, vibrations and humidity, which are ideal for the timber industry.
In this way and thanks to all these new technologies, we are one step closer for having a real worlwide market for sustainable forest products, and to have much more controlled illegal cuttings and to make it more difficult trading and reduce it to residual levels.
