The Green Business Bureau Launches QRC Program, Helping Consumers Track Green Business initiatives at Point-of-Sale

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) HOUSTON - April 27, 2011 - How do consumers know if a business is really green? This age-old question has been answered by the Green Business Bureau – one of the nation’s fastest growing green certification organizations for SMBs—through the simple use of technology. 

In an industry first, GBB has implemented a new, cutting-edge program utilizing Quick Response Code (QRC) technology for its green certified business members. As many mobile phone users have already discovered, the use of QRCs can be fun and educational. Soon, all businesses that carry a green certification through GBB will offer QRCs at the point-of-sale to show consumers just what steps have been taken towards sustainability.   These second generation barcodes, when scanned by a mobile phone, instantly take consumers to a dedicated mobile page. In this case, when the QRC of a GBB member is scanned by a customer, the customer will be introduced to the entire list of sustainability initiatives undertaken by the business, providing increased transparency as to why that business can claim some level of eco-friendliness.   “Studies show that 40 percent of shoppers want to see more green information at the store level, and 28 percent want to see it displayed prominently on shelves or directly on the menu,” says Marcos Cordero, CEO and co-founder of the GBB. “The new FTC Green Guides go right along with that by requiring businesses to back up their green claims at the point-of-sale.”   The FTC Green Guide updates, which will go into effect this year, state that it is no longer enough to have a website which outlines green initiatives, but that businesses must now offer information on their green practices in the store and at the register.   “QRC technology is a perfect fit for the GBB’s existing online platform,” says Cordero. “It conveys the transparency of our interactive membership website seal and takes it mobile, allowing customers immediate, on-the-spot insight into our members’ green practices.”   The immediacy and accessibility of the QRC technology complements the GBB platform’s real-time updating of green initiatives undertaken by a business. Applications for QRC at the point of sale are endless. QRC can be applied to nearly every conceivable media, including cars and vans, invoices, business cards, entry doors, signage, stickers, menus, hangtags, brochures, hardhats and more.   “The GBB’s platform is built on transparency,” says Cordero. “QRC technology is the next, logical evolution of that goal.”   For more information about the Green Business Bureau QRC program, please visit www.gbb.org/qrc.   # # #   About the GBB: The Green Business Bureau is a national third-party program providing certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices. Started by a group of environmental and business professionals who recognized a need in the marketplace for a trusted green certification for small- to medium-sized businesses, GBB fosters environmental awareness among businesses and promotes business practices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially beneficial. www.gbb.org.   Media Contact: Ami Almquist; Ami@gbb.org or 713-705-3514

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