# 349 - Why all your UPC barcodes might be going away soon! Ned Mears from GS1

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2026-05-18
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might

## Summary

Ned Mears, Senior Director of Global Standards at GS1 US, explains the industry-wide shift from 1D UPC barcodes to 2D barcodes under the 'Sunrise 2027' initiative. He details how adding dynamic data like expiration dates can reduce food waste by up to 40% and enable serialized identity for inventory management. Mears discusses the convergence of RFID and QR codes, allowing brands to capture direct consumer data and control digital experiences at the point of sale.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=0) Introduction and Ned Mears' Background
- [6:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=365) History and Ubiquity of the UPC Barcode
- [11:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=698) The 'Why Now' of Sunrise 2027
- [16:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=975) Food Waste Reduction and Dynamic Data
- [19:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=1189) RFID, Serialization, and Item-Level Identity
- [26:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=1606) Brand Benefits: Direct Consumer Connection and Analytics
- [31:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-18-349-why-all-your-upc-barcodes-might-be-going-away-soon-ned-mears-from-gs1#t=1880) Transition Strategy and GS1 Resources

## Topics

- [Packaging design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/packaging-design)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- GS1 (company)
- Sunrise 2027 (other)
- Walmart (company)
- Domino (product)
- QR code (product)
- RFID (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How IoT Helps Battle The Global Food Waste Crisis | IMS-Evolve's Jason Murphy | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-10-20-how-iot-helps-battle-the-global-food-waste-crisis-ims-evolves-jason-murphy-inter) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [S4E48 Paul McEnroe | Inventing the Barcode (UPC) & Scanner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-12-15-s4e48-paul-mcenroe-inventing-the-barcode-upc-scanner) (Being an Engineer)
- [UPC Management: Jake Deleon, Fila Manila and Alex Sorenson, Blank Slate Kitchen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-05-10-upc-management-jake-deleon-fila-manila-and-alex-sorenson-blank-slate-kitchen) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#159 - EDI 101: Emily Curran, SPS Commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-09-03-159-edi-101-emily-curran-sps-commerce) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [What is Stopping Brands from Going Big with NFC? | SharpEnd's Cameron Worth | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-11-08-what-is-stopping-brands-from-going-big-with-nfc-sharpends-cameron-worth-internet) (IoT For All Podcast)

## Citing this page

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