Do you ever wonder why the earth rapidly warms up? Or why storms are getting stronger and stronger? Or why do weather patterns change so quickly? These, friends, are just some of the impacts of this global threat called climate change.
An article in the United Nations website stated that coal, oil, and gas are by far the most significant contributors to global climate change, accounting for more than 75% of world greenhouse gas emissions and almost 90% of total carbon dioxide emissions.
It went on to say that manufacturing and industrial processes emit pollutants, primarily from the use of fossil fuels to provide electricity for the production of cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothing, and other items.
Sustainable Marketing
You may have noticed lately that supermarkets have shifted to the use of paper or ecobags, or that some products that you buy are sealed in kraft packaging or contain calls to action such as “recycle me.”
As the effects of climate change make waves of harmful impacts nowadays, many consumers are starting to be more concerned about the products they buy, where they come from, and where they are headed after use.
The call for more sustainable practices, particularly in various industries, gets louder. As a result, some of these companies pledged to reduce the use of plastics in their products, while others opted for recycled or upcycled goods.
And to live up to this battle cry, they added the QR Code for environmentally friendly advertising.
QR Code History
Quick Response (QR) Codes was created by Denso Wave, a Japanese automotive company in 1994 to promote their products. The small, square-shaped barcode got its inspiration from the Go-Board, the country’s traditional board game.
How a Sustainable QR Code Works
QR Codes is a small, square barcode with tiny black and white lines. They can hold a large amount of information, enough for a user to engage in various activities easily with just one scan.
Potential Uses of Sustainable QR Code
Much has been said about the word sustainability, but how does it apply to marketing, particularly those that involve QR Codes? Here are some of the ways to use QR Codes for sustainability:
Reduce Production Costs
Using QR Codes instead of physical materials to advertise a product or service can save the company millions of dollars from production expenses. Producing these materials alone would require the use of oil, fuel, and energy, which can cost an arm and a leg.
Meanwhile, creating and publishing QR Codes can only be done in one seating, and with the help of devices like smartphones or computers.
Lessen Paper Consumption
Printed documents are disadvantageous in a lot of ways. First, paper production destroys the flora and fauna, as wood is a primary material in creating paper. Matter-of-factly, it takes 24 trees to produce a ton. Second, some printed information tends to be disposed of easily or over time (e.g. newspapers, flyers, brochures, old records, books, etc.). Third, papers are prone to damage (e.g. termites, fire, flood). What a waste.
QR Codes are created and published digitally, and this means avoiding wastage of resources like trees, energy, fuels, and the like.
Keep Customers Informed and In Touch
Many industries may dazzle a consumer with the words “clean,” “green,” “eco-friendly,” or “sustainable,” but most of them are only using these words to enthuse and nothing more. The best way for businesses to live up to the true meaning of sustainability is by practicing it, initially with the use of QR Codes.
QR Codes can direct a user to many places online through a scan. This feature is highly applicable when marketing products and services. The QR Code may take them to a landing page where they could:
- be informed and educated about your product and its origin;
- know more about your company and its advocacies;
- make informed decisions about which products or services to avail;
- stay in touch, give reviews, and provide feedback; and,
- save time, effort, and money by streamlining the transaction process.
Create a Sustainable QR Code
The good thing about generating QR Codes is that it is not only cost-effective but also time, effort, and space-saving. One doesn’t need to have advanced or expert knowledge to create one. So if you are planning for a sustainable way to market your goods or services, here are the ways you can start:
1. Visit QR Cloud
If you are looking for QR Codes that are unique, stylish, and highly functional, qr-cloud.com is the best site to visit. It offers a variety of features to ensure that your scannable code is uniquely yours.
2. Access Your Account
You can either sign in or sign up and avail of its free or premium plans.
3. Create QR Code
Click the image that looks like a QR Code in the dashboard. It will take you to a page where you will be asked to Create QR.
4. Choose a QR Code Type
Create only one code for a single purpose. Is it intended for your social media page, a landing page, a payment form, a feedback form? In QR Cloud, you can choose any type of code for whatever purpose you need.
5. Customize Your QR Code
You can play with colors and designs, and even add a logo to create a look that makes your brand stand out. Just be careful not to invert the foreground and background colors if you want to ensure its functionality.
6. Make Your QR Code Dynamic
Nothing is more sustainable than a dynamic QR Code. It is updatable and trackable. With a dynamic QR Code, you don’t need to reprint every time you make changes.
7. Try and Test Your QR Code
To see if the QR Code works, give it a test scan using a legitimate QR scanner on your smartphone or tablet.
8. Download and Publish Your QR Code
Click Create QR, download it in the format you want, and publish it in places that will surely drive traffic to your website. And to make it more sustainable, publish it on social media, your websites, or on your promotional videos.
Sustainable QR Code: The Industries’ Response to Environmental Concerns
QR Codes may just appear as small squares and lines, but their environmental impact creates waves rather than ripples. It is economical, time-saving, effort-saving, and space-saving. Consider how many lives we can save by converting our physical advertisements into QR Codes: thousands of trees, biodiversity, hunger issues, and the like.
So you want your business to create a positive impact on the environment? Start now by using QR Codes.