New barcode to provide products' carbon footprint

A new barcoding system unveiled this week will inform consumers about the carbon emissions associated with a product and will also help them learn about any projects the manufacturer supports to offset those emissions.

The CO2code, offered by the CO2code Initiative, “creates public awareness of products emissions and opens innovative green marketing opportunities for companies.”

Someone who buys a product bearing a CO2code will be able to type that code into an online CO2code registry that will provide details about the calculated carbon emissions of that particular product. The registry will also feature information about any offset projects associated with that product, including “maps, pictures of the location, and in-depth information about the social and ecological benefits created by the project.”

The first products bearing a CO2code are expected to appear on shelves in Europe this April.