The Problem with Produce Stickers (PLUs)

Price Look-Up Codes (PLUs) might seem harmless – they’ve been present on fruit and vegetables since 1990. We’re all used to seeing them and they contain a lot of information about the fruit or vegetable they’re stuck on. But these stickers are manufactured from single-use plastic or vinyl. They are difficult to recycle and difficult to dispose of. Businesses with big supply chains may consider the stickers to be convenient. But have you ever thought about where the stickers end up? The stickers become a problem for the environment, similar to other single-use plastic items like straws. They end up in landfill or worse, in waterways where they are consumed by marine life. 

PLUs exist because they help check-out workers at the supermarket to identify produce so they charge the right price. The stickers also contain information about the product itself. For example, the stickers might inform consumers – who know what to look for – whether the produce is organic or not. PLUs also contain information about whether a product is genetically modified (GMO). Food labels can tell you a lot about what you’re eating and help you make well-informed food choices for you and your family – but this information comes at a cost for the environment.

PLU stickers present a contamination issue for composting. In some council areas, large composting facilities receive our food waste and turn it into nutrient-rich compost, which can be added to soil. Unfortunately, within these composting facilities screening processes are often inadequate for PLU stickers because of how thin, flexible and small they are. Looking out for and removing these stickers is a difficult, time-consuming and manual process, meaning a lot of these plastics end up in the compost, then eventually in soil where they break down into micro-plastics which pollute soil and waterways.

Another issue with PLUs is that they make it almost impossible for businesses to properly dispose of spoiled or damaged produce. The produce cannot be composted if it has a sticker on it. Unfortunately, large quantities of damaged produce with PLUs end up in landfill where they produce methane emissions which contribute to greenhouse gases. As consumers, we are becoming more and more conscious thinking about how much rubbish gets sent to landfill. Since there is currently no effective way to recycle PLU stickers, unfortunately the only place for disposal is landfill. The first and foremost way to avoid using and disposing of produce stickers is to avoid them altogether – by shopping at farmers’ markets or community-run markets who stock local produce.
 
In the long-term, however, PLUs should be designed with a clear “end-of-life” plan in place. Since fruit and vegetables are compostable, PLUs should also be designed to be compostable, which is achievable with a paper, instead of plastic, sticker. Although not as durable, paper stickers remain the safest route for the planet. There are some paper stickers currently being created. These more sustainable stickers generally don’t have a shiny surface and are made from material “certified by the Forest Stewardship Council”, which is an international NGO promoting sustainable management of the world’s forests. Paper stickers – like those made by noissue – are biodegradable, water-resistant and can remain intact in high temperatures and humid conditions. Another alternative to PLUs is sticker-less coding, which uses lasers to etch into the peels of certain fruit and vegetables. Laser-etching ensures the compostability of products is not affected by foreign plastics on the food.

Currently, PLUs remain prolific on the produce of big farms and large produce organisations. While most PLUs are still ending up in landfill, there are some sustainable alternatives currently in development, and there are some food producers who are attempting to stay away from PLUs all together. While it may take some time for alternatives to appear on the mainstream market, the best option for consumers is to shop at markets and local stores that do not support PLUs – and, if your fruit and vegetables do have stickers on them, always remove them before disposing of cores and peels in your compost.

By Matthew Hooper