[_heimdall]

That sure is a lot of single use NFC tags though.

These kinds of convenience features are almost never aligned with the strong passion many today have for reducing waste and helping lower our environmental impact.

[aceki]

RFID tags are already used for inventory management for some items/retailers. A system like this can just piggyback on the existing tags.

[_heimdall]

It would need to expand to every product though, right? From produce to packs of gum, they would all need tags that can be reliably scanned by the bag/cart.

[tylerhou]

I’ve seen it at stores where each item is relatively more expensive (e.g. a Uniqlo).

[imtringued]

We nowadays have disposable smart labels with integrated screens.

Look up ynvisible

[_heimdall]

Those seem really wasteful too IMO, why do we need them?

Disposable is really in the eye of the beholder. Just because it can be single use, or even if its biodegradable, doesn't change all the resources that go into manufacturing them in the first place.

Just toss a bunch of unlabeled apples in a bin and let a human cashier who has already learned all the product codes for produce just type them in. Or if we really want self checkout, put a barcode at the bin and no labels on the apples at all.

[JohnFen]

This. We need many fewer disposable things in this world, not more.