Smart functionality is printed inside the pet preform.
We embed laser-induced graphene (LIG) antennas in the neck ring during injection moulding; the circuit survives 200 °C blow-moulding and provides an NFC tag readable by smartphones at retail.
Each 28 mm preform becomes a data carrier storing origin, batch and recycling history without external labels. For temperature-sensitive probiotics, thermochromic masterbatch changes colour if cold-chain breaches 8 °C, visible through the bottle wall.
Cost adder is < USD 0.002 per unit-an order of magnitude cheaper than conventional smart labels-and the digital ID boosts rPET sorting purity to 99 %, closing the loop for circular-economy claims.
