The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) recognizes increasing concerns regarding the environmental impact of PLU stickers.  CPMA’s Plastic Packaging Working Group has released a guidance document for the industry entitled Rational and Guidance for Migrating to Certified Industrial Compostable PLU Stickers.

Price Look Up (PLU) stickers are the small stickers on fresh fruits and vegetables used globally to ensure thatconsumers pay the correct price for produce and accuracy in produce identification.

“It is crucial now more than ever to support food security by ensuring that consumers can choose the amount of fresh produce they want and be charged the correct amount for it,” stated Ron Lemaire, CPMA president. “PLU stickers enable the sale of bulk produce and reduce the need to package some fruits and vegetables ensuring efficiency within the supply chain.”

CPMA formed the Plastic Packaging Working Group in 2019 to proactively determine guidance for industry in itssustainability efforts relative to produce packaging. The newly published guidance is based on significant input from industry and from the Compost Council of Canada to ensure an efficacious path to mitigating the impact of PLU stickers on Canada’s industrial composting industry while meeting industry’s sustainability goals.

“The fresh produce industry has a long history of stewardship and sustainability efforts to ensure the industry can continue to feed the world while contributing positively to the planet and people everywhere. The recent efforts to supportthe industry’s journey to a more compostable PLU sticker is just one example of the many initiatives it has undertaken,” noted Mario Masellis, CPMA chair.

“The CPMA and its members’ commitment to transition to certified compostable produce stickers is a very great game-changer for the organics recycling industry,” said Susan Antler, executive director, The Compost Council of Canada. “To have another industry recognize its impacts on our ability to effectively process organic residuals, transforming them to all-important compost which is being returned to our soils, is outstanding.”

Source:  Canadian Produce Marketing Association March 2, 2023 news release