Why Bother With RFID?
A number of counterfeit containers have found their way into the CC Container pool system. Apart from getting a free ride at the expense of legal users, the counterfeits that infiltrate the system also impose serious financial and security risks on all users.
Users in Good Faith Run a Risk
Take a good look at the container in the picture. This
was NOT an original CC Container, but an illegal lowquality
container which had been equipped with false
CC identification labels. So how was the user to know
that this was not an original high-quality container?
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell the difference between an original CC Container and a counterfeit container when you are handling your plants in your busy daily operations. You just have a quick look, and there it is: the metal ID plate and the black padlock with the yellow barcode label which indicate that this is an original CC Container and thus a ‘paying guest' in the system. So the user of this container was in good faith, and now he lost a load of plants, a container, valuable time as this container stopped his flow and he also has to clean up the mess – not to mention that somebody might have been hurt!
This Has to Stop!
As the CC Container pool manager, Container Centralen of course cannot tolerate this system infiltration. To
protect the pool of CC Containers against illegal low-quality copies, it has proven necessary to attach an
identification label to the CC Containers. However, as this label – currently a black padlock – is also illegally
copied, it is regularly updated. To provide a unique protection against false copies of the identification label,
an RFID tag – ‘electronic barcode' – will be incorporated in the new label, which will be implemented by 1
November 2010.
To check the authenticity of the containers, they have to be scanned, either with a handheld RFID scanner, or when passing through RFID gates. All containers that do not have the right RFID tag will be rejected in the system. This is how the counterfeiters can be stopped.
RFID Is Supported by FloraHolland, Landgard, GASA Group, VGB, and CC
The RFID project is a further development of the CC Pool System, and is a joint project in the industry, which
some of the large organisations from Holland, Germany and Denmark are supporting and participating in.
The success of the implementation of this joint industry project is therefore assured by 5 partners, namely:
FloraHolland, Landgard, GASA Group, VGB and CC.
Improved Container Quality in the Pool
After the tagging operation when all CC Containers are RFID tagged, the pool will be closed. In time, the
illegal containers which have already found their way into the system will be identified and removed from the
pool. This is how CC can ensure that the loyal users of the system will have an efficient and safe CC
Container pool, also moving into the future. Furthermore, CC will focus on the further development of the CC
Container when the pool has been closed. Thus, more user friendly plastic shelves and noise reduced softtread
wheels are some of the improvements that have been held back so far.
Unlabelled Containers
If a customer has an unlabelled container that meets CC quality requirements, it is possible to have the
container registered and accepted in the pool during the tagging operation, "Operation Chip It", at a fee of €
12 before 1 November 2010, and € 18 hereafter. After "Operation Chip It" ends in 2011, the pool will be
closed, and only containers produced for Container Centralen will be accepted, putting an end to free riders
and low-quality copy containers in the pool.
This container was an illegal low-quality copy! Apart from getting a free ride in the system at the expense of legal and loyal users, the free riders also impose a financial as well as security risk on all users. As appears, this counterfeit container was even brand new and shiny!
For more information visit www.container-centralen.com and www.operation-chip-it.com
SOURCE: Container Centralen