###### Abstract
Widespread implementation could reshape industry practices by altering distribution models, changing milk production dynamics, and influencing market behaviors--all of which have uncertain environmental consequences. Additionally, scalability across different countries' dairy operations presents challenges, as RFID effectiveness may vary depending on regional infrastructure, policy incentives, and technological compatibility. The long-term sustainability of RFID in food supply chains therefore depends not only on its ability to reduce food waste but also on its full environmental footprint across production, use, and disposal phases. Given the complexity of ICT-driven sustainability assessments, parallels can be drawn from recent machine learning (ML) applications in supply chain optimization, where studies have demonstrated that while ML can reduce emissions through smarter logistics and energy management, its long-term impact remains ambiguous due to indirect effects and rebound risks [22]. Similarly, RFID's transformative potential in food waste mitigation must be evaluated beyond its direct benefits, incorporating potential unintended consequences, data-energy trade-offs, and systemic shifts in supply chain practices. This study addresses this research gap by conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) of RFID adoption in the EU fresh milk supply chain, ensuring a holistic evaluation of both its environmental burdens and its FLW reduction benefits. Unlike previous studies that focus on isolated RFID applications, this work explicitly defines the scope and system boundaries to improve transparency and reliability. Specifically, the study:  
* Examines RFID deployment from production to disposal (cradle-to-grave approach) following ISO 14040/44 standards. * Limits the analysis to fresh milk logistics within the EU market, recognizing that regional supply chain structures, milk distribution models, and policy frameworks influence RFID's effectiveness. * Defines a clear baseline scenario by comparing traditional supply chain management (without RFID) versus RFID-enhanced systems, to ensure that the environmental benefits measured are net reductions rather than absolute values. * Integrates a spatio-temporal analysis, assessing geographic and time-based variations in RFID's environmental impact to determine whether regional infrastructure, energy mix, and policy interventions alter its sustainability potential. By situating RFID's environmental trade-offs within a broader sustainability framework, this study contributes critical insights into the viability of digital tools in reducing FLW and achieving climate goals within the EU food sector. In particular, the findings provide industry stakeholders, policymakers, and supply chain managers with data-driven guidance on whether RFID's environmental cost is justified by its food waste mitigation potential, ultimately supporting informed decision-making for sustainable dairy logistics. The paper is organized as follows: Section 2 outlines the methodology, focusing on the LCA framework used to assess the environmental impacts of RFID deployment in fresh milk supply chains. Section 3 presents the results of the environmental impact assessment, including detailed analysis across key categories such as climate change, land use, particulate matter, and water resource depletion. Section 4 discusses the implications of the findings, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of RFID technologies, the limitations of the study, and relevant policy implications for the EU dairy sector. Section 5 concludes the study, summarizing key insights and offering recommendations for future research and policy.