Company reduces food waste by 40% with GS1 2D Barcodes

Food waste is a problem for several reasons. It is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When food waste ends up in landfills, it decomposes and releases methane gas, which is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Food waste is a waste of valuable resources such as water, energy, and land. Producing food requires significant resources, and when that food is wasted, those resources are also wasted. Food waste has economic costs. When food is wasted, it represents lost income for farmers and food businesses, and it also means that consumers are paying more than they need to for food. Finally, food waste is a moral issue, given that there are millions of people around the world who lack access to adequate food. Reducing food waste can help to address all of these issues by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving resources, saving money, and providing more food for those in need.

Woolworths Australia realized multiple benefits from their implementation of 2D barcodes using the GS1 standard. These benefits include better management of inventory, and reducing food waste by up to 40%. Additionally, cashiers can be alerted that a scanned product is past its expiration date and consumers can scan the barcode to provide traceability information about a product’s origin and more. All of this can be accomplished with a single small symbol that replaces the UPC and EAN barcodes. You can read more about this from the Woolworths GS1 Case Study.

IDAutomation offers many 2D barcode types such as GS1 QR Code, GS1 Data Matrix, and the GS1 Digital Link that can be easily integrated into existing business applications.