UnaBiz brings affordable IoT tracking to the world of reusable packaging and transport items, helping reduce loss, cut admin time, and support circular supply chains.
What if tracking your reusable packaging assets like pallets, roll cages, or plastic totes didn’t require expensive hardware, power-hungry devices, or complicated software? That’s the promise behind UnaBiz’s latest move. Building on the Sigfox 0G network, the company is embracing a wave of more affordable tracking options, supported by new technology from ecosystem partners, while leveraging AI machine learning for geolocation. Designed with frugality in mind, this new technology makes it cost-effective to track reusable assets previously considered too inexpensive to justify the investment.
“It’s not about adding bells and whistles,” said Arnaud Celié, Vertical Go-To-Market Manager at UnaBiz. “It’s about giving companies just enough data to cut losses, rebalance their assets, and improve efficiency without blowing their budgets.”
UnaBiz: Low-Cost Tracking for High-Volume Assets
Until now, IoT tracking for reusable packaging often came with a hefty price tag, limiting adoption to only high-value assets. But with trackers now approaching the €5 mark and yearly connectivity costs as low as €1–4 per device, companies managing assets valued at just €15 to €50 (such as plastic pallets and roll cages) can finally justify the spend.
Further driving down hardware cost is the newly launched BRM81W1 Sigfox module from ESMT, a solution partner in the broader Sigfox ecosystem. The compact module, certified for RC1, supports bi-directional communication and is priced under $3 for sample orders under 1,000 units. Full availability begins in April 2025. With a lightweight 20mm x 22mm design, low power consumption, and CE certification, it opens new possibilities for developers and manufacturers in asset tracking and beyond.
Take DHL, for example. In one of UnaBiz’s most significant deployments, tracking roll cages across their supply chain reduced asset loss by more than 50% and administrative labor by more than 40%. That includes time saved verifying shipments, reducing manual counts, and cutting down on the back-and-forth blame games between facilities.
Another success comes from Japan, where Nippon Pallet Pool (NPP) used Sigfox-connected trackers to reduce pallet losses and streamline inventory management. Likewise, in Australia and New Zealand, Loscam teamed up with UnaBiz’s regional partner Thinxtra to deploy asset tracking solutions that improved visibility and handling. These deployments are made possible by the Sigfox 0G Network – a global infrastructure operated by 70+ national operators, enabling seamless asset tracking across borders with no roaming fees
Reducing Loss, Admin Time, and Inventory Errors
“The value isn’t just in loss prevention,” said Celié. “It’s also in reducing the time it takes to manage inventory, knowing where your assets are at any moment, and making smarter rebalancing decisions.”
What sets Sigfox’s SubGHz connectivity apart is its ultra-low power use. Unlike cellular-based systems that can be costly and power-hungry, Sigfox’s network is frugal, drawing minimal energy and enabling battery lifespans of several years. For assets that only need to be tracked for short periods—say, a three-month diagnostic run—UnaBiz now offers lithium-free batteries using zinc-manganese chemistry, further reducing environmental impact.
“It’s not about constant GPS updates every minute,” said Celié. “It’s about smart, frugal data collection—location, motion, temperature—at just the right interval to make business decisions.”
An AI-driven system called Sigfox Atlas Sparks now also paves the way to hybrid models where the location accuracy of Sigfox-only trackers is enhanced by precise WiFi locations coming from a small percentage of WiFi-enabled trackers. This innovative approach delivers a good balance of accuracy and affordability for large-scale asset tracking.
A Circular Future with Traceability Built In
That approach also positions UnaBiz as a sustainability partner. With Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) soon to reshape reusable packaging accountability, digital traceability tools like these may help companies prove compliance, reuse, or recycled content.
“If a company is refreshing its fleet of pallets to comply with new material rules, that may be the perfect time to consider track-and-trace as part of the upgrade,” said Celié. “It’s a way to get ahead of both regulation and inefficiency.”
Whether you’re moving high-value food packaging, electronics totes, or everyday pallets, UnaBiz’s low-cost, low-power tracking technology is opening new doors for traceability. As more use cases like AJ Networks in Korea and one major pallet pooler in Japan show results, broader adoption across the reusable packaging sector may not be far behind.
Recognizing the Right Fit
While UnaBiz’s Sigfox-based solutions offer significant advantages for many applications, Celié acknowledged that they may not be suitable for every scenario.
“Sigfox is not for everyone,” he said. “Typically, cellular is a good fit for data-hungry situations. The fact is, most customers and use cases require a mix of technologies, because tracking happens indoors, outdoors, and often across regions or even globally. No single technology can provide complete coverage or meet all operational needs. That’s why a multi-tech approach (WiFi, BLE, Sigfox, Cellular) is essential.”
UnaBiz is committed to providing solutions meeting the particular needs of each client, ensuring that businesses can choose the most appropriate technology for their reusable packaging fleet.
“We encourage businesses to explore how UnaBiz’s low-cost IoT can help them better manage their assets,” concluded Celié. “It’s a smart and sustainable way forward.”
For more information, visit www.unabiz.com.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
