Envio, a pioneer in IoT-based shipping and tracking solutions, today announced the integration of Envio’s Artac E Ink Digital shipping label with Zebra Technologies’ ZS300 electronic sensors to provide unprecedented, real-time visibility of internal temperature and shipment conditions directly on a package.

The solution solves a critical problem in cold chain logistics: the visibility gap. Even with advanced sensors capturing granular temperature data, that information is often hidden in backend systems or mobile apps, inaccessible to frontline handlers like drivers, dock workers and inspectors. This creates a significant risk of data existing but not being immediately visible or actionable at the point of handling.

"For decades, shipping labels have been static, disposable and silent. In a world where cold chains are more complex and scrutinized than ever, that no longer makes sense," said James Wilkinson, Managing Director at Envio. "By integrating our Artac digital label with Zebra's industry-leading ZS300 sensors, we are moving beyond simple monitoring and toward shared visibility, faster decisions and greater confidence for our customers. This highly flexible solution has been developed for both retrofit onto existing packaging solutions and integration with new solutions that are in development."

From Retrospective Audits to Real-Time Prevention

The integration allows live internal temperature updates from ZS300 sensors to be displayed directly on the Artac E Ink display on the shipment's exterior. Alongside temperature data, the display shows the battery level, alert status, and serial number of the ZS300 sensor inside.

This shift from retrospective audits to proactive prevention is a game-changer. Previously, temperature excursions were often discovered only after the fact, at depots or final delivery points. With this combined solution, a temperature deviation can trigger an immediate visual alert on the package itself, enabling handlers to take corrective action before spoilage occurs.

Alongside temperature, Artac’s E Ink display can show an industry-standard shipping label that is remotely updatable, allowing reusable packaging to be remotely relabelled for its onward journey once it reaches its initial destination. Digitization of the shipping label removes the need for label printers in remote locations and reduces opportunity for labelling error. The cellular-connected device supports multimodal and cross-border shipments, featuring a battery life of up to 12 months.

In Action: Pharmaceutical Shipments

The combined solution is seeing its first deployments in the bulk shipment of pharmaceuticals and blood, an industry where precise temperature control is critical for product integrity and regulatory compliance. “The ability to remotely monitor and display live temperature information directly on our thermal packaging represents a major advancement in cold-chain assurance. We are excited to further implement Envio’s technology across our range of medical packaging solutions,” said Paul Harrison, Managing Director of Polar Thermal, an innovative manufacturer of reusable thermal packaging used by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) to transport whole blood, platelets and plasma.

Beyond solving the visibility gap, the ZS300 sensors offer additional capability to standalone sensors used in cold chain transportation, as highlighted in a recent Zebra blog post, “Think Inside the Box,” simply monitoring the temperature of a refrigerated "reefer" container with  integrated temperature sensors is not enough. 

Due to a number of issues, including inconsistent airflow, microclimates can form within a “reefer”, meaning sensors at the rear of a unit can provide a false impression of the temperature for the entire space. This creates a significant risk where temperature-sensitive goods, such as pharmaceuticals and fresh food, can be compromised without anyone knowing until it's too late.

Envio’s solution puts critical data where it matters most—directly on the package. By transforming the shipping label from a piece of paper into a live dashboard with E Ink technology, this combined solution empowers front-line workers with the critical real-time temperature visibility they need to make decisions instantly. This provides an unparalleled advantage for the entire supply chain, especially for the efficiency and reusability required in reverse logistics.