In a world where environmental accountability is no longer optional, the live events industry is under growing pressure to reduce its ecological footprint. From music festivals to sporting tournaments and corporate gatherings, organisers are rethinking everything from materials to movement to the attendee journey itself. At the centre of this transformation lies a powerful, often underleveraged tool: RFID technology.
While RFID has long been valued for access control and tracking, its potential as a sustainability enabler is only just being realised. Here's how it’s reshaping greener events — and what more it could unlock in the near future.
Reuse over replace
RFID eliminates the need to overproduce paper or plastic passes and wristbands by creating a single, durable credential that works across an entire event — or even across multiple events. Each RFID pass can be remotely updated to change access permissions or be deactivated, cutting down on both waste and reprinting.
Working with events like the MTV EMAs and EuroLeague, RFIDentikit supports the use of a single smart RFID pass across the entire event—reducing the need for multiple wristbands and cutting down on waste. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), at shows such as the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court, reuses passes throughout the season, aligning with their broader commitment to eliminating single-use materials. This simple shift significantly reduces waste without compromising security or flexibility.
In practice, this means:
Some organisers are now exploring series-wide RFID usage, enabling a single pass to function at multiple events across a calendar year — all linked to one unique RFID identifier. This shift toward long-life passes is a practical way to embed sustainability into the access system itself.
Recycle and reduce
Beyond reusability, RFID credentials and infrastructure are becoming more environmentally responsible in their materials and lifecycle.
For example, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (REMT) uses durable RFID cards printed on recycled PETG plastic, minimising the environmental impact while maintaining security and performance. These cards are collected and recycled after use, supporting a circular approach to materials.
Event organisers are also:
Together, these changes reduce the reliance on disposable materials and significantly lower the overall environmental footprint of large-scale events.
Let data do the heavy lifting
RFID’s biggest contribution to sustainability might not be physical at all. It’s the data.
By tracking crowd flows, access points, dwell times, and peak movement zones, RFID offers live visibility into how people actually move through a space — enabling organisers to:
RFIDentikit provides the Alfred Dunhill Links Golf Championship with a data pack on catering numbers, attendance, and event flow. This level of operational precision helps reduce unnecessary energy use and minimise carbon emissions. And because RFID operates in real time, event teams can respond dynamically as conditions change.
From guesswork to measurable progress
As sustainability becomes a condition of partnership for sponsors, governments, and attendees, being able to prove your environmental impact is vital. RFID enables transparent reporting that’s built into the operational flow of the event itself.
RFID systems support:
This kind of built-in accountability turns RFID from a back-office tool into a strategic sustainability asset.
We’re already supporting TRNSMT Festival in tracking their carbon footprint, and we’re in talks to bring RFID into that process—helping generate more granular, real-time data to support their sustainability goals.
Encouraging positive action through smart tech
Looking ahead, RFID could play a major role in influencing attendee behaviour for the better. By connecting RFID data with incentives and gamification, events can reward individuals for making greener choices — all passively tracked.
Imagine:
This future-facing use of RFID turns sustainability into an interactive experience — creating engagement while driving measurable change.
A Connected, Responsible Future
RFID is more than a convenience or a crowd-control tool. It’s becoming the connective tissue that allows events to operate with less waste, more insight, and deeper environmental integrity.
The future of RFID is not just contactless — it's conscious.