CANADA - Produce organizations from across the globe will be gathering in Niagara Falls, Canada, on October 1 with the goal of establishing a global compostable standard for Price Look Up (PLU) stickers. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is one organization that will be in attendance alongside compost organizations and many more.

“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. The PLU is an integral part of the fresh produce supply chain, helping ensure accurate product identification thereby ensuring accurate pricing for consumers,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. “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.”

PLUs are predominantly noncompostable, according to a press release. 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 organic recycling process and adversely impacting the finished compost quality and value.

The fresh produce industry has identified the need to develop and adopt certified compostable PLUs as a result. However, because of the nature of global sourcing of produce year-round and the potential regional variability of composting processing requirements, there is a benefit for both the composting and fresh produce industries to develop and work toward the adoption of a single global standard for compostability.

Attendance at the meeting 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 CPMA and the Compost Council of Canada, with the support of the Government of Canada.

The outcome of this global meeting will be published in October 2024, with further engagement with the fresh produce industry and organics recycling industry planned for fall 2024 into early 2025.

For more from the press release, click here.

ANUK is the place to be for all your industry news, so don’t go anywhere.