The 2D Barcode Revolution: What Every Manufacturer Needs to Know

At interpack 2026, Domino’s Craig Stobie explained why connected packaging and 2D codes are crossing a tipping point – and why the window to act is narrowing fast, especially with Digital Product Passport legislation on the horizon.

If you walked the halls of interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf, you couldn’t miss the momentum behind 2D barcodes. QR codes, Data Matrix symbols and GS1 Digital Links were everywhere – and the conversation wasn’t about whether to adopt them, but how fast.

One of the clearest voices cutting through the noise was Craig Stobie, a connected packaging expert at Domino Printing Sciences – a trusted Buyerdock supplier partner.
In his interview with Packaging Journal at the show, Craig laid out a compelling case for why the shift to 2D codes is happening right now, what’s driving it, and – critically – what manufacturers need to do before regulators and retailers force their hand.

Source: Craig Stobie interview at interpack 2026 – watch the full interview at Packaging Journal

Why now? The four forces driving 2D adoption

Craig identifies four distinct forces converging at once – which explains why 2D code adoption has accelerated so sharply after years of slow burn. The circular economy is placing new demands on packaging. Labelless products, refill schemes and improved recyclability all require machine-readable data at the point of disposal – something a traditional 1D barcode simply cannot carry. Then there is the digital economy, where packaging has become a marketing channel in its own right. A QR code on a bottle can connect consumers to recipe ideas, loyalty schemes, provenance stories and product authentication – all from a single scan. Retailer pull is also intensifying. Major grocery chains are actively driving adoption among their suppliers, and that commercial pressure moves fast through supply chains. But the factor with the longest tail – and arguably the most consequential – is legislation.

What our partners say

“Don’t start with the what or the how — start with the why. The data elements you need follow directly from the outcomes you want to unlock.”

 

Craig Stobie, Global Segment Manager – Food & Beverage, Domino Printing Sciences, interpack 2026

Digital Product Passports: the regulatory countdown

Of all the forces Craig Stobie describes, it is the regulatory one that deserves the most immediate attention from manufacturers and procurement teams. The EU’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) framework – part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) – is set to introduce mandatory product-level data requirements across an expanding range of categories in the coming years.

The DPP mandates that products carry a machine-readable code linking to a standardised digital record: materials used, recyclability, carbon footprint, repair information and more. For most product categories, a QR code powered by a GS1 Digital Link is the expected carrier. This isn’t a future consideration – the legislation is already in motion, with batteries and textiles among the first sectors in scope, and food and beverage categories expected to follow.

What makes Craig’s message particularly urgent is the lead time involved. He points out that for a major manufacturer, packaging changes can take five to seven years to fully flush through the system – from specification updates and artwork changes to print-system upgrades and supplier validation. Companies that wait for final regulatory deadlines before beginning will find themselves in a very difficult position.

Benefits across the entire value chain

What’s persuasive about Craig’s stance is that he refuses to sell 2D codes as a solution looking for a problem. Instead, he highlights the benefits across every stakeholder in the value chain – which helps explain why adoption is now being pulled from multiple directions simultaneously.

Start with the worst line, not the best

One of the more counterintuitive pieces of practical advice Craig offers is about where to pilot. Most manufacturers instinctively want to test new technology on their highest-performing, most reliable production line. He says do the opposite: start with the worst line.

The logic is sound. Piloting on a line that already underperforms gives you headroom to absorb the inevitable early-stage variability without disrupting your most critical output. It also gives your teams a realistic stress-test of the technology – and by the time you roll out across the plant, the system has already been hardened in difficult conditions.

He also makes an important point about how to measure success. The instinct in many production environments is to reach for ISO grading standards for barcode quality. Craig redirects this: the real measure is whether the code scans at the checkout. Grade-A aesthetics are secondary to functional readability in the real world – in variable lighting, at speed, across a range of consumer devices.

Serialisation at scale: what’s now possible

One objection that has historically slowed 2D adoption – particularly in high-speed food and beverage applications – is the assumption that applying a unique, serialised code to every individual product unit is technically impractical at the volumes required.

Domino’s presence at interpack 2026 was partly designed to put that objection to rest. At their stand in Hall 8C54, they demonstrated two deployment-ready systems. The first is a sleeving system producing retail-ready QR codes at production line speeds. The second is a closure coding system that prints and verifies up to 120,000 unique QR codes per hour – enabling genuine mass serialisation, batch-of-one if needed, without sacrificing throughput.

This matters enormously in the context of Digital Product Passports, which by their nature require item-level uniqueness. The infrastructure argument against serialisation is rapidly becoming obsolete.

What should procurement and operations teams do now?

Craig Stobie’s core message translates into clear actions for anyone responsible for packaging strategy, production or supplier management:

Map your DPP exposure. Understand which of your product categories are in scope for early EU Digital Product Passport requirements and when the deadlines apply. If you sell into the EU market, this is not optional – it’s a compliance matter with commercial consequences.

Audit your current print and coding infrastructure. Can your existing inkjet, laser or thermal transfer systems generate, apply and verify 2D codes at the required speed and quality? If you don’t know, that’s the first question to answer.

Don’t wait for artwork cycles. Given the five-to-seven-year lead time Craig highlights, the businesses in the best position in 2030 are the ones starting conversations with their packaging suppliers and equipment partners now – not when a regulatory deadline is six months away.

Think about the “why” first. As he puts it, the data elements you need – and the type of 2D code that best carries them – follow from the outcomes you’re trying to achieve. Start with business goals, not technology specs.