An unprecedented agreement has been reached between the fresh produce industry and composting organisations to accelerate the transition to certified compostable Price Look Up (PLU) stickers. This intent was reached at a first- ever worldwide meeting in Niagara Falls, Canada, on 1 October, with the discussions leading to the agreement to develop a multi-phase framework to support this transition through the development and adoption of a global standard for compostable PLUs. The planned transition to certified compostable PLUs in the European Union (EU) by 2028 provides the added momentum to accelerate a worldwide adoption to this collective goal. Additional meetings within the fresh produce and composting sectors are planned in the coming months to expand engagement and finalise the action plan by the end of 2024.
"Moving to a certified compostable format for PLUs is a priority for organics recycling facilities," said John McKew, National Executive Officer, Australian Organics Recycling Association, and member of the International Compost Alliance (ICA). "The current plasticized format is not compatible with producing quality compost, nor can the stickers be easily removed during the organics recycling process and can result in the collected organics being sent to landfills or incineration, contributing to climate change, and diminishing a crucial resource to build soil health.
"CPMA is delighted to see the fresh produce and composting industries work together towards a global standard for compostable PLU stickers. Given PLUs are an integral part of global fresh produce supply chains, this global dialogue is a must," said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. "Accelerating the adoption of compostable PLUs is a global priority given the risk that compostable PLU requirements will increasingly diverge from country to country. The coming together of fresh produce and composting industries will help reduce the burden on complex fresh produce supply chains, while also ensuring that food waste is increasingly recycled into value-added products."
The meeting provided a unique opportunity for the fresh produce industry and composting industry to better understand their respective positions on PLU stickers. This included the fresh produce industry outlining the critical role PLUs play in helping accurately and effectively identify fresh produce for enhanced traceability, inventory control and pricing at retail. The composting industry outlined the impacts of discarded PLU stickers accompanying fresh produce waste sent to organics recycling, including consumer-sourced, commercial, and business organic waste sources. Given most PLU stickers are currently non-compostable and difficult to remove, physically contaminating the organics recycling process and adversely impacting the finished compost quality and value, the meeting provided a strategic opportunity to identify a way forward which recognises each industry's respective priorities.
Through open and collaborative dialogue, industry representatives acknowledged the need to accelerate the development and adoption of certified compostable PLUs. Given the global nature of fresh produce supply chains, and the potential regional variability of industrial composting processing requirements, industry representatives acknowledged the benefit of working together to develop and adopt a single global standard for compostable PLU stickers that are compatible with compost standards around the world.
For more information:
John McKew
Australian Organics Recycling Association
Tel: +61 0434 711 077
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aora.org.au