A Model of the Environmental Burden of RFID Technology in the Slovak Republic

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

1. I suggest not putting the reference in the abstract.
2. The abbreviations (SR; RFID) in the abstract may hinder the search via metadata by scientists who do not dominate the area but could be interested in reading and citing the article due to other points addressed. I suggest explaining what the acronyms represent the first time they are mentioned, even in the abstract: Radio=frequency identification - RFID and the Slovak Republic.
3. Please correct line 27, "product-to-store." Idem line 40, "market - the quality." Please correct along with all the text.
4. Specify what means IT system at the first time was mentionable.
5. I suggest mentioning what the constitutional indication of SR looks like before quoting the law, considering the Kelsenian positivist pyramid.
6. Reference norm line 71.
7. Suggest doing a comparative law analysis of the SR norm with other peer countries.
8. Improve layout and quality/centralization of images.
9. I could not evidence the contribution that the article brings to science? Does it refer only to technology?

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1 Comments

 

 

 

Point 1:  I suggest not putting the reference in the abstract.

Response 1: Thank you for your comment. The reference was deleted from abstract.

 

Point 2: The abbreviations (SR; RFID) in the abstract may hinder the search via metadata by scientists who do not dominate the area but could be interested in reading and citing the article due to other points addressed. I suggest explaining what the acronyms represent the first time they are mentioned, even in the abstract: Radio=frequency identification - RFID and the Slovak Republic.

Response 2: Thank you for your comment. The acronyms was explained.

 

Point 3 Please correct line 27, "product-to-store." Idem line 40, "market - the quality." Please correct along with all the text.

Response 3: Thank you for your comment. The text was corrected.

 

Point 4 Specify what means IT system at the first time was mentionable.

Response 4: Thank you for your comment. The mistake was deleted.

 

Point 5 I suggest mentioning what the constitutional indication of SR looks like before quoting the law, considering the Kelsenian positivist pyramid.

Response 5: Thank you for your comment. The hierarchy of legislation was explained.

 

Point 6 Suggest doing a comparative law analysis of the SR norm with other peer countries.

Response 6: The SR norm is identical with legislation of EU. The problem is that residents don´t know that RFID tags are e-waste and need to be separated. RFID tags from logistics centers don´t separate and RFID tags ended in municipal waste.

 

Point 7 I could not evidence the contribution that the article brings to science? Does it refer only to technology?

Response 7: The article points out the problem with the separation of RFID tags. if only the results calculated by us are that 7.9 tons of metal end up in municipal waste only from households in the Slovak Republic, how many tons of metal and plastic do not separate and end up in municipal waste. As an example, we also mentioned the waste when using RFID technology in disposable diapers, there is 226 t of waste from RFID tags. The article gives an example with plastic straws, no one knew what impact they would have on the environment and currently the use of disposable straws is prohibited.

 

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Presented article with Title ” A Model of the Environmental Burden of RFID Technology in the Slovak Republic ” is writing on 10 pages with 10 figures, 6 tables, 0 equations and 21 references. This article is written clearly and comprehensibly. The article focuses on a practical example with a specific data. The paper is worth publishing, but in my opinion, the manuscript content needs some improvements.

Suggestions:

• Please check abstract, and delete link to reference.
• Chapter 1. introduction is too short.
• Chapter 2. is too general.
• Please rename chapter what is medhotology and what is results.
• From where you have data ? (number of RFID tags in a model household per month)
• Tables 2, 4, 5 there is not legend to unit of weight.
• Conclusions, please describe your future directions.

All the specific comments can be followed in reviewed copy of the manuscript.   

I recomend this paper publish in journal after revision.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

 

 

 

Point 1: Please check abstract, and delete link to reference

 

Response 1: Thank you for your comment. The link was delete

 

 

Point 2: introduction is too short

 

Response 2: Thank you for your comment. The introduction was supplemented.

 

• Point 3: Chapter 2. is too general.
• Please rename chapter what is medhotology and what is results.

 

Response 3: Thank you for your comment. The name of chapter was change. Chapter 2 is about definition RFID technology and about analysis of RFID tags production. RFID Forecast statistics indicate, that 20 billion RFID tags produced in the world and this RFID tags are waste in many case not separated as e-waste. 20 billion is huge number.

 

• Point 4: From where you have data ? (number of RFID tags in a model household per month)

 

 

Response 4: Thank you for your comment. We have been analyzing this topic on a theoretical level for a long time. The authors collected RFID tabs throughout the year, we also asked friends and made a model household.

 

• Point 5: Tables 2, 4, 5 there is not legend to unit of weight.

Response 5: Thank you for your comment. The unit of weight was supplemented.

 

 

 

Reviewer 3 Report

If the abbreviation SR is used for the first time, its meaning should be explained
Can you prove that these codes represent a high environmental burden?
At work, we talk about mass, not weight, the error is repeated almost throughout the entire work
Authors contribitions is missing.

In general, the article lacks science, so it needs to be exposed.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 3 Comments

 

 

 

Point 1: If the abbreviation SR is used for the first time, its meaning should be explained

 

Response 1: Thank you for your comment. The abbreviation SR and RFID are explained.

 

Point 2: Can you prove that these codes represent a high environmental burden?

 

Response 2: Thank you for your comment. Nobody deals with the issue of RFID tags as e-waste. We are currently analyzing the use of RFID tags in logistics centers and their subsequent separation / non-separation. The impact of RFID tags on the environment may increase with the growth of industries where RFID tags can be used - e.g. in the field of disposable diapers. The article gives an example with plastic straws, no one knew what impact they would have on the environment and currently the use of disposable straws is prohibited

 

• Point 3 At work, we talk about mass, not weight, the error is repeated almost throughout the entire work.

 

Response 3: Thank you for your comment. After your note, I studied the introduction of the terms weight and mass in the WOS database. The authors introduce both terms. We have a standardized term weight in the Slovak Republic, so we do not change this term.