The Trudeau government is weighing a plan to force QR codes onto consumer products so Canadians can check their climate impact before buying, according to a new Privy Council report.The study, titled Testing QR Code Designs, said Ottawa is exploring “digital product labels via QR codes to provide consumers with information needed to make informed purchasing decisions.” No cost estimate was provided.The idea has already proven unpopular. Surveys of 2,540 people nationwide found only 22% regularly scan QR codes, while nearly half — 46% — said they prefer physical labels. Just 17% preferred digital ones.The initiative stems from Bill S-5, a 2023 law amending the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. .The legislation did not mention QR codes but declared that “every individual has a right to a healthy environment,” language that former environment minister Steven Guilbeault admitted was vague. “Through regulations we will define how this new right will be implemented,” he told senators in 2022.Skeptics in the upper chamber warned the undefined right could trigger a wave of lawsuits. “Litigators love to litigate,” said Sen. David Arnot. Guilbeault conceded the matter “may be litigated.”The Privy Council report gave no details on which products would be targeted or what data would appear when codes are scanned. Researchers said the study aimed to “understand the motivations and barriers Canadians demonstrate regarding QR codes” as Ottawa prepares for “more widespread use of digital technologies” in consumer labeling.
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