Metrc announces sustainable tag solution for seed-to-sale tracking
Select state agencies and licensees to participate in a nine-week pilot program for real-time feedback; new sustainable tags boast nearly 20 percent more efficiency
Metrc, the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory technology systems in the U.S., announced the launch of sustainable radio frequency identification (RFID) plant tags developed to reduce waste, resulting in better all-around environmental performance. To ensure the success and adoption of the new plant tags, Metrc is initiating a pilot test program for select state agencies and licensees to provide feedback on the tag’s design, durability and readability.
Metrc has been developing its sustainable tag solution to showcase its dedication to cannabis industry stakeholders, the communities they serve, and the overall environmental well-being of the planet. This commitment drove the Company to formulate sustainable paper plant tags that maintain durability and RFID technology efficiency. Metrc’s sustainable RFID tags are designed to improve compliance auditing and reporting, carrying embedded security advantages over other systems and arriving regulation-compliant and ready for use. Licensees do not need special printing equipment to create tags and labels, reducing errors and waste while saving businesses time and money.
“The launch of our sustainable RFID tags creates an environmentally friendly option for our licensees across the country,” said Michael Johnson, CEO of Metrc. “We are confident that our breakthroughs in RFID technology and compositions will allow us to continue improving the sustainability of our tags down the line, and we look forward to receiving real-time feedback from our partners participating in the pilot program.”
In alignment with state agencies, Metrc’s nine-week pilot test program will permit licensees to evaluate the new tags’ design, effectiveness and usability, including tag perforation and ease of tag separation, durability and readability, and more. Licensee participants will receive pilot test instructions and plant tags and straps shipped directly to their facility, free of charge, along with dedicated support to track feedback throughout the testing process, including completion of the program.
The sustainable tags developed by Metrc contain 30 percent post-consumer waste (PCW), providing a steady source of demand for recycled paper products, 10 percent hemp, and 60 percent responsibly sourced Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified virgin paper fiber. The inclusion of hemp fiber to the PCW greatly improves tag durability, and by using recycled materials instead of new resources, Metrc is significantly reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions, waste in landfills, and water usage. In addition to reducing plastic use and waste, adding hemp and PCW saves 302,000 pounds of wood, equivalent to 910 trees per year, based on industry calculations of the production of 226,000 pounds of material. The base material of the sustainable tags is made with 100 percent renewable Green E-certified wind-powered electricity (RECs) under a third-party certified ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and is manufactured carbon neutral (VERs), offering additional environmental benefits to the materials and process.
Metrc’s completely redesigned tags also use one-third less material than current tags. Using an innovative method to safely house and protect the tamper-proof inlay, the Company’s engineers have developed a production system that requires just two layers of material rather than three. The tags will have, on average, a shelf-life of nine months and can perform in the field for the duration of the plant’s standard growth-to-harvest cycle. Based on initial testing, when scanning using RFID handheld technology, the new sustainable tag read range is 17 percent more effective when compared to the current tags.
Following the pilot program, Metrc expects to officially launch its sustainable RFID tag solution in 2023, with a complete transition planned for 2024.
About Metrc
Metrc is the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory systems in the United States. Our solution combines advanced software, radio-frequency identification (RFID), a dedicated customer support team, and a secure database to track cannabis from growth, harvest, and processing to testing, transport, and sale. Metrc is engaged in 23 government contracts and serves more than 300,000 users, including growers, testing facilities, dispensaries, state regulators, and law enforcement officials. We are proud to play a leading role in ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s legal cannabis market.