GS1 US, the American arm of the global nonprofit GS1, is leveraging barcodes and QR codes to enhance the circular economy. By tracking products throughout their lifecycle, these technologies aim to promote responsible material use and reduce environmental impact. A recent podcast features insights from Vivian Tai, GS1 US's Director of Innovation.
The Universal Product Code (UPC) barcode, developed by GS1, revolutionized retail in the 1970s by enabling inventory management and point-of-sale scanning for workers. It later facilitated self-checkout for shoppers. Today, this everyday technology is evolving to support sustainability efforts.
Vivian Tai, Director of Innovation at GS1 US, explains in the Earth911 podcast how the organization's mantra—'the identification of everything makes anything possible'—drives innovation. GS1 US has introduced the GS1 Digital Link Standard, which uses scannable QR codes to connect and track individual products across their entire lifecycle.
This approach could unlock closed-loop recycling, where companies take responsibility for materials at every step, from production to disposal. By combining smartphones with QR codes, consumers can participate in tracing products, ultimately reducing the extraction of raw materials and lowering humanity's environmental footprint.
The podcast, originally aired on February 24, 2024, highlights how these scannable codes power the shift toward circular products. More details are available at the GS1 US website.