In 2010, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) says that of our planet's 5,490 mammals, 79 are extinct or extinct in the wild, 188 are critically endangered, 449 are endangered and 505 are vulnerable. Researchers and scientists use RFID to track animals so they can learn more about their habits. Data gathered are used as part of their efforts to fight extinction and protect the planet's biodiversity. Researchers and scientists use RFID to track animals and learn about their habits as part of their efforts to fight extinction and protect the planet's biodiversity. Read more about how RFID is being used with polar bears, wild boars, jaguars and macaws, or how it is used to collect valuable data about the flora of the rainforest.

According to the World Health Organisation, some 10 percent of all medicines on the market are counterfeits. In developing countries, the number can be 25 percent, and patients in certain countries such as Uganda have a 60 percent chance of being treated with counterfeit and potentially dangerous medication. With the help of RFID, drug counterfeiting can be stopped and people's lives can be saved.

More than 30 million pieces of luggage were mislaid in 2005. With RFID, airlines achieve better automatic read rates for luggage, since a line of sight is not needed to identify bags, as is the case with barcode readers today. RFID helps passengers have a more pleasant journey and drives down costs for airlines, translating into lower prices for consumers.

In August 2007, some 9 million toys tainted with high-lead paint were recalled from the market, driving the overall number of recalled toys and other lead-contaminated items such as children’s jewellery into the hundreds of millions. RFID can make the process of recalling items faster and more efficient while fostering greater product responsibility in the marketplace.

Each EU citizen produces an average of 172 kilos of packaging waste a year, directly or indirectly. RFID can help waste management companies sort and dispose of this waste.

In the United States alone, 12 percent of perishable foods are lost each year during shipping and handling. This results in billions of dollars of losses in the $500 billion US supermarket industry. RFID can help stop this waste and ensure that consumers receive only the freshest meat and fish.

In the Baltic country of Latvia, more than 1.500 people suffered workplace accidents in 2005. Of these, 56 died from on-the-job injuries. RFID is helping make dangerous workplaces more secure. It is used to control access to restricted areas and to track safety equipment and inspection data on the equipment.

Reports show that many consumer products – particularly fast-moving goods, such as certain groceries – are out of stock 7 to 8 percent of the time. Promotional items are even more frequently unavailable: on average, they’re out of stock 20 percent of the time. RFID is slowly lowering these rates, since the technology allows shops to manage goods more effectively as they move from the production plant to the shelf in the shop.