{"id":152456,"date":"2024-10-23T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=152456"},"modified":"2024-10-17T12:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T10:59:16","slug":"global-meeting-advances-transition-to-certified-compostable-produce-stickers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/global-meeting-advances-transition-to-certified-compostable-produce-stickers\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Meeting Advances Transition to Certified Compostable Produce Stickers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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An\u00a0unprecedented agreement has been reached between the fresh produce\u00a0industry and\u00a0composting organizations to accelerate the transition to\u00a0certified compostable Price Look Up (PLU)\u00a0stickers. This intent was\u00a0reached at a first-ever worldwide meeting in Niagara Falls, Canada, on\u00a0October 1st, with the discussions leading to the agreement to develop a\u00a0multi-phase framework to\u00a0support this transition through the development\u00a0and adoption of a global standard for compostable\u00a0PLUs. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The planned\u00a0transition to certified compostable PLUs in the European Union (EU) by\u00a02028\u00a0provides the added momentum to accelerate a worldwide adoption to\u00a0this collective goal. Additional\u00a0meetings within the fresh produce and\u00a0composting sectors are planned in the coming months to\u00a0expand engagement\u00a0and finalize the action plan by the end of 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Moving to a certified compostable format\u00a0for PLUs is a priority for organics recycling facilities,\u201d said\u00a0Stefanie Siebert, Executive Director, European Compost Network ECN) and\u00a0member of the\u00a0International Compost Alliance (ICA)<\/strong>.\u201c\u00a0The\u00a0current plasticized format is not compatible with\u00a0producing quality\u00a0compost nor can the stickers be easily removed during the organics\u00a0recycling\u00a0process and can result in the collected organics being sent to\u00a0landfill or incineration, contributing to\u00a0climate change and\u00a0diminishing an important resource to build soil health. Because of the\u00a0global\u00a0sourcing network for produce, the members of the International\u00a0Compost Alliance applaud the\u00a0produce industry in recognizing the\u00a0importance of this transition and its timeliness to ensure both\u00a0our\u00a0industries can positively contribute to food production and supply as\u00a0well as take care of the\u00a0health and well-being of our soils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCPMA is delighted to see the fresh produce and\u00a0composting industries work together towards a\u00a0global standard for\u00a0compostable PLU stickers. Given PLUs are an integral part of global\u00a0fresh\u00a0produce supply chains, this global dialogue is a must\u201d, said CPMA\u00a0President Ron Lemaire<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cAccelerating the adoption of compostable PLUs is\u00a0a global priority given the risk that compostable\u00a0PLU requirements will\u00a0increasingly diverge from country to country. The coming together of\u00a0fresh\u00a0produce and composting industries will help reduce the burden on\u00a0complex fresh produce supply\u00a0chains, while also ensuring that food waste\u00a0is increasingly recycled into value-added products.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n


The\u00a0meeting was jointly organized by the\u00a0Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the\u00a0Compost Council of\u00a0Canada, with the support of the Government of Canada.\u00a0In-person and\u00a0virtual\u00a0attendance included representatives of the fresh produce\u00a0industry, including members of the\u00a0International Federation of Produce\u00a0Standards \u2013 IFPS (the International Fresh Produce Association,\u00a0United\u00a0Fresh New Zealand, CPMA, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada), Ontario\u00a0Fruit and\u00a0Vegetable Growers Association (OFVGA), as well as technical\u00a0experts from leading global PLU\u00a0manufacturers. The global compost\u00a0industry was represented through the International Compost\u00a0Alliance\u00a0(ICA) with in-person representation from Australia, the United States,\u00a0Ireland, the United\u00a0Kingdom, Italy, the European Union and Canada.\u00a0Government representatives from the United\u00a0States Department of\u00a0Agriculture (USDA) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)\u00a0were\u00a0also in attendance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting provided a unique opportunity for the\u00a0fresh produce industry and composting industry\u00a0to better understand\u00a0their respective positions on PLU stickers. This included the fresh\u00a0produce\u00a0industry outlining the critical role PLUs play in helping\u00a0accurately and effectively identify fresh\u00a0produce for enhanced\u00a0traceability, inventory control and pricing at retail. The composting\u00a0industry\u00a0outlined the impacts of discarded PLU stickers accompanying\u00a0fresh produce waste sent to organics\u00a0recycling, including\u00a0consumer-sourced, commercial and business organic waste sources. Given\u00a0most PLU stickers are currently non-compostable and difficult to remove,\u00a0physically contaminating\u00a0the organics recycling process and adversely\u00a0impacting the finished compost quality and value, the\u00a0meeting provided a\u00a0strategic opportunity to identify a way forward which recognizes each\u00a0industry\u2019s\u00a0respective priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through open and collaborative dialogue, industry\u00a0representatives acknowledged the need to\u00a0accelerate the development and\u00a0adoption of certified compostable PLUs. Given the global nature of\u00a0fresh\u00a0produce supply chains, and the potential regional variability of\u00a0industrial composting\u00a0processing requirements, industry representatives\u00a0acknowledged the benefit of working together to\u00a0develop and adopt a\u00a0single global standard for compostable PLU stickers that is compatible\u00a0with\u00a0compost standards around the world. It was also recognized that\u00a0these efforts could help promote\u00a0the increased recycling of organic\u00a0materials, helping contribute to the reduction of food loss and\u00a0waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outcomes of the meeting included identifying a draft\u00a0framework to move forward, including the draft\u00a0elements of a global\u00a0compostable PLU standard, comprised of compositional as well as in-field\u00a0testing requirements. A draft multi-phased roadmap towards timely and\u00a0global adoption of a\u00a0standard that reflects the evolving global\u00a0regulatory landscape was also identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next steps include broader engagement of industry\u00a0representatives with their respective regional\u00a0and global counterparts\u00a0to disseminate the meeting\u2019s key findings. This will include broader\u00a0engagement with fresh produce stakeholders in the EU and other key\u00a0markets where PLU\u00a0requirements are rapidly evolving. A Compostable PLU\u00a0Standard Action Plan will be developed and\u00a0launched by industry\u00a0stakeholders before the end of 2024, leading to actions to promote and\u00a0accelerate the development and adoption of certified compostable PLUs\u00a0starting in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Contacts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stefanie Siebert, Executive Director
European Compost Network ECN,
Cell: +49 172\u00a0242 1329
Email: siebert@compostnetwork.info<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Duguay, Sustainability Specialist, CPMA.
Tel: 613-769-5670
Email:\u00a0dduguay@cpma.ca<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Based in Ottawa, Ontario, CPMA is a not-for-profit\u00a0organization that has been supporting a diverse\u00a0membership made up of\u00a0every segment of the fresh produce supply chain for 100 years. CPMA\u00a0represents nearly 900 member companies responsible for 90% of the fresh\u00a0fruits and vegetable\u00a0sales in Canada and an industry that contributes\u00a0nearly $15 billion to Canada\u2019s GDP annually,\u00a0supports over 185,000 jobs,\u00a0and improves the health and productivity of Canadians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the International Compost Alliance (ICA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The International Compost Alliance is comprised of:
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