So what is the big idea…?

Every manufactured product should be printed with a QR code that links to a central database providing information about its ‘End of Use Plan’.

When designing products, manufacturers should include provisions for how the product will be disposed of at the end of its intended use and record this in a central database when the product is ready for sale.

The Green QR Code Company (CIC) aims to provide this database. We will provide an accessible and browsable website in order to view the information, and will provide the means of gathering and storing the necessary data from the producers and manufacturers of products. And we will provide the means of generating the corresponding QR codes that will link to the information about each product in the database.

By doing this, we will:

promote and support sustainable and responsible use and reuse of our planet’s resources,
protect the environment from the harmful effects of the waste and rubbish that we all leave behind.

What is an End of Use Plan?

An End of Use Plan tells the owner of a product what to do with it when it has reached the end of its useful life. The End of Use is simply the point at which someone decides they want to dispose of the product.

An End of Use Plan should include details about;

what materials the product is made of,
how to recover / reuse / recycle the materials that the product is made from,
if appropriate, how to disassemble the product,
which parts of the product must be disposed of in landfill,
whether any of the materials require special disposal provisions at a specialist facility,
a means of identifying any OEM¹ components used in the product which may have their own End of Use Plan,
details of how to dispose of the packaging.
Alternatively, the packaging could carry its own QR code and have its own End of Use Plan…

Why a ‘central database’?

The use of a central database gives people access to one single source of information, written in simple language, telling them how to properly dispose of the product.

It also means that the information will still be accessible long after the packaging the product arrived in has been disposed of, and continues to be available even if the manufacturer ceases trading at some point in the future.

Ultimately, we hope that consumers will be able to scan a product’s QR code and view information about the product’s end of use plan before deciding to make a purchase. Consumers will be able to take this into account when deciding whether to spend their money. Companies who promote and adhere to sustainable and environmentally sound practices will be able to advertise this to prospective customers using our service.

Over time, this will promote sustainable and responsible use of our planet’s resources, and will protect the environment from the harmful effects of the waste and rubbish that humans tend to create.

Who are the Green QR Code Company?

The Green QR Code Company is a Community Interest Company (CIC) limited by guarantee. We chose this company structure because we do not want this to be a profit-making exercise. Whilst the people who do work for us should be paid properly and fairly for doing their jobs, this is not ultimately a commercial enterprise. The ‘Community Interest Company’ structure fits perfectly with our philosophy and vision.

Put simply what this means is:

We are a properly formed and constituted company registered with Companies House.
As a matter of law, we cannot sell shares or distribute profits to shareholders as dividends.
We are a non-profit-making organisation. All of the income we receive is invested in achieving the community interest objectives that the company was set up for.
We are collaborative. We will work with anyone who shares our ethics and vision for an environmentally sustainable future.
We are dependent upon financial support from our fabulous donors and sponsors who are as determined to make this project work as we are.
We work together for the good of our planet and everything that lives on it…