Top: Predominantly non-compostable PLU stickers are used on fresh produce. Photo by Nora Goldstein

The Compost Council of Canada hosted the first-ever, worldwide meeting between the fresh produce industry and compost organizations in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on October 1 at its Annual Conference. The objective was to establish a global compostable standard for PLUs (Price Look Up) stickers that help accurately and effectively identify fresh produce for traceability, inventory control and pricing at retail. The PLUs are predominantly non-compostable and a significant portion of discarded PLU stickers accompany fresh produce waste sent to organics recyclers from residential, commercial and institutional sources. “These stickers are difficult to remove, physically contaminating the organics recycling process and adversely impacting finished compost quality and value,” said Susan Antler, Executive Director of the Compost Council of Canada. The fresh produce industry has identified the need to develop and adopt certified compostable PLUs. However, because of the nature of global sourcing of produce year-round and the potential regional variability of composting process requirements, industry stakeholders agreed to meet to develop and work towards the adoption of a single global standard for compostability that is compatible with compost standards around the world. Representatives from the International Federation of Produce Standards, the International Compost Alliance and the PLU label industry attended the meeting, jointly organized by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association and the Compost Council of Canada, with the support of the Government of Canada. An agreement was reached to develop a multi-phase framework to support 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 added momentum to accelerate a worldwide adoption to this collective goal.