Price Look Up (PLU) stickers will be center stage in a first-ever, worldwide meeting between the fresh produce industry and compost organizations in Niagara Falls, Canada.

The objective of the October 1 meeting is to establish a global compostable standard for PLUs.

PLUs, integral in helping accurately and effectively identify fresh produce for traceability, inventory control and pricing at retail, are predominantly non-compostable. Currently, a significant portion of discarded PLU stickers accompany fresh produce waste that is being sent for organics recycling, including consumer-sourced organic waste as well as waste from commercial and business sources. These stickers end up being difficult to remove, physically contaminating the organics recycling process and adversely impacting the finished compost quality and value. 

Recognizing this impact, 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 processing requirements, there is benefit for both the composting and fresh produce industry to develop and work towards the adoption of a single global standard for compostability that is compatible with compost standards around the world. 

Meeting attendance includes representatives from the fresh produce industry, including members of the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS), the International Compost Alliance (ICA) and the PLU label industry. The meeting is being jointly organized by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the Compost Council of Canada, with the support of the Government of Canada. 

“CPMA is pleased to see the Government of Canada committed to supporting the industry’s efforts to develop a global standard for compostable PLU stickers,” said CPMA president Ron Lemaire. “The PLU is an integral part of the fresh produce supply chain, helping ensure accurate product identification thereby ensuring accurate pricing for consumers. This must be a global effort. The adoption of compostable PLUs – a priority identified in the CPMA’s compostable PLU guidance published in 2023 – is an international priority given the risk of compostable PLU requirements varying from country to country. Individualized or unique national efforts will only add burden to a complex supply chain and potentially disrupt food security efforts.” 

Source:  Canadian Produce Marketing Association September 23, 2024 news release