Carbon footprint identification system

A point of sale (POS) device, comprising:

• processing circuitry operationally coupled to a memory and a sensing device operable to sense an identifier specific to and disposed with a container configured to transport one or more items associated with checkout of those items by the POS device, the POS device being communicatively coupled over a network to a blockchain network that includes network nodes that are collectively configured to operate a blockchain having blocks, with each block having a header and a body with one or more transaction entries, with the header having a reference to a previous block on the blockchain and a reference to the transaction entries of the current block on the blockchain, the container identifier being specific to a cryptographic digital asset stored on the blockchain as a code that represents the container identifier, wherein verification of block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset is performed based on a hash value generated by applying a hashing algorithm to a block header of a previous block on the blockchain, the cryptographic digital asset also including a code that represents a reference to carbon footprint information associated with checked out items by the POS device that utilized the container, with the container identifier code and the carbon footprint information reference code being included in a transaction entry of a block on the blockchain that is associated with the cryptographic digital asset;
• and
• wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:
• sense, via the sensing device, the identifier specific to and disposed with the container during a checkout of one or more items by the POS device;
• send, to a network node of the blockchain network over the network, an indication that includes a request for block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset based on the sensed container identifier sensed from the container during checkout, with the request indication including a blockchain reference to the cryptographic digital asset based on the sensed container identifier, so that the carbon footprint information associated with the checked out items by the POS device that utilized the container can be obtained based on the carbon footprint information reference code;
• receive, from the network node of the blockchain network over the network, an indication that includes the block data associated with the cryptographic digital asset;
• obtain the carbon footprint information reference code from the block data;
• obtain the carbon footprint information reference based on the carbon footprint information reference code and a public key or a private key associated with the carbon footprint information reference code;
• obtain the carbon footprint information based on the carbon footprint information reference;
• and
• output, for display by the POS device, a visual representation that includes at least a portion of the carbon footprint information.