Mid-America Packaging
AJ Adhesives

News

Holding North American Manufacturing Together

How Accurate Coding Reduces Rework and Waste

Mid-America Packaging: Sustainability Through Packaging Operations – How Accurate Coding Reduces Rework and Waste
January 29, 2026

Accurate Coding = Less Waste

Sustainability in packaging operations doesn’t always start with new material. Often, it starts with preventing the waste you already pay for: scrapped packages, reworked cartons, relabeled cases, product held for inspection, and rush shipments. One of the most overlooked drivers of packaging waste is inaccurate or inconsistent coding—date codes, lot codes, shift codes, and barcodes that are incorrect, unreadable, or in the wrong spot. When a code fails, the downstream impact is rarely small: the product gets quarantined, packaging gets reworked, labor gets pulled off the line, and materials get thrown away. In short, accurate coding is a sustainability lever because it reduces rework, waste, energy use, and material consumption, without changing what you ship.

 

Why “Small” Code Errors Create Big Sustainability Waste

Coding mistakes trigger waste in a few predictable ways:

  • Waste: The package can’t ship, so it’s discarded (or the product is destroyed in regulated environments)
  • Rework: Teams relabel, over-label, wipe/replace cartons, or repack cases that consume extra labels, ink/ribbon, cartons, stretch film, and labor
  • Extra energy: Rework means additional machine run time, compressed air use, conveyors running longer, and more starts/stops.
  • Hidden waste: Slower changeovers, longer QA holds, and extra verification checks add time (and energy) that doesn’t produce sellable units

This aligns with the EPA’s core principle: source reduction (or waste prevention) is the most environmentally preferred approach because it avoids emissions and energy use tied to making, moving, and disposing of materials.

 

The Credibility Problem: Labeling/Coding Errors Are a Known Root Cause

Labeling and coding accuracy in many industries is tied to compliance and recall risk.

Food and consumer goods operations regularly cite labeling errors as a major contributor to recalls and market actions, particularly when information is wrong or missing. (For example, analyses of allergen recall frequently identify labeling errors as a dominant root cause.)

In regulated products (like pharmaceuticals), U.S. cGMP rules require controls to ensure that correct labeling and packaging materials are used to prevent mix-ups, because the consequences of being wrong are severe.

Even if you’re not in a highly regulated category, the operational takeaway is universal: when the code is wrong or unreadable, you create waste. Accurate code reduces rework.

 

Where Coding Errors Usually Come From (And What to Fix First)

Most “bad code” events are not mysterious. They tend to come from a handful of operational causes that can be addressed with equipment and set-up choices that reduces rework:

  • Human entry errors during changeovers
    • Manual code entry is a common failure, especially when operators are moving fast, covering multiple tasks, or working with frequent SKU changes. The most sustainable fix is reducing opportunities for mistakes through automation and standardization (e.g., controlled templates, centralized code management, interlocks that prevent running without verification).
    • Operations impact: Fewer misprints → fewer holds → fewer rework hours and scrapped materials.
  • Print quality drift (readability problems)
    • Codes can be “corrected” but still fail if they’re too light, too heavy, smeared, low-contrast, or distorted by the substrate. That’s where print quality inspection (PQI) and barcode grading standards become valuable: they give you an objective way to catch failures before product piles up.
    • Operations impact: Early detection prevents large batches of non-scannable products.
  • Placement, substrate, and line conditions
    • Even a high-quality barcode can fail if placement causes curvature issues, quiet zone problems, or inconsistent scanning. GS1 publishes barcode placement and printing guidance specifically to help ensure codes scan reliably across the supply chain.
    • Operations impact: Fewer rejects at the customer/warehouse → fewer chargebacks and relabeling events.

 

“Right the First-Time” System: Printing & Verification

If your goal is to find a process that reduces rework and waste, and printing is only half the system. The sustainability win comes from pairing coding/marking with a verification process:

  • Standardize the message (structure + templates)
    • Use controlled templates for each SKU
    • Lock fields that shouldn’t be edited
    • Tie codes to production data (line, shift, lot) instead of retyping
  • Verify the code quality before it becomes waste
    • Barcode verification standards such as ISO/IEC 15416:2025 exist specifically to evaluate print quality consistently (grading and root-cause cues).
    • GS1 also publishes verification implementation guidance because verification helps prevent issues like printing the wrong barcode and improves confidence that codes will scan through the supply chain.
  • Build quick “stop-the-line” rules
    • Don’t wait for a pallet to be built. Common best practices include:
      • Reject on unreadable/incorrect code
      • Alert when print quality trends downward
      • Require verification pass at startup and after changeover

This is where vision-based inspection and optical character verification (OCV) are often used on packaging lines to confirm date/lot text and print quality in real time.

 

What This Means for Sustainability Metrics (Practical and Measurable)

If you want credibility internally, connect coding accuracy to metrics your team already tracks:

  • Waste rate (packaging waste by SKU/line)
  • Rework hours (labor & downtime)
  • Material consumption (labels, cartons, ink/ribbon, over-labels)
  • Energy per good unit (more rework = more kWh per shipped case)
  • Quality holds / quarantines (time & WIP accumulation)

Even modest improvements in first-pass accuracy reduces rework quickly because coding errors tend to create batch-level losses.

 

Where Mid-America Packaging Fits: Technical Guidance That Prevents Waste

Accurate coding isn’t a single product choice; it’s a system decision:

  • Selecting the right coding and marking equipment for your substrate, speed, and environment
  • Setting up print placement and integration so codes stay readable
  • Adding verification/inspection to prevent the most waste
  • Training operators on daily checks that keep codes consistent (printhead condition, ink/ribbon basics, distance/angle, cleanliness, and changeover discipline)

Mid-America Packaging supports customers with hands-on experience across real packaging lines, especially where uptime and consistency matter. If your team is dealing with recurring rework tied to date codes, lot codes, or barcode scan failures, MAP can help you diagnose the root cause and recommend the most practical fix for your operation.

If coding accuracy is driving rework or waste on your line, Mid-America Packaging can help you tighten equipment setup, verification, and operator routines so the product ships right the first time and your sustainability efforts increase.

How Accurate Coding Reduces Rework and Scrap | MAPContact your MAP representative today!

To speak with someone immediately, call: (314) 652-4583

For more information or questions, email us at: info@map-pack.com

Follow us on LinkedIn & Facebook for more tips, resources, and updates!

Sources: