Impacts on growers
There is a reluctance by growers to change to certified compostable stickers because of the estimated cost difference of anywhere from 10% to 70% depending on type and volumes purchased. This cost is considered non-recoverable by the grower through retailers or consumers and represents another increase in the cost of production, even if used for marketing purposes.
The cost of stickers varies depending on quantities, however the cost is estimated to be less than 1 cent per sticker. In the volumes that stickers are applied to some commodities, this additional cost may impact on business costs under contractual arrangements. Optimised packing processes mean that in most packing sheds, all produce, regardless of end market, is stickered prior to packing. Decisions regarding final destination are usually made after packing and therefore makes it logistically difficult and inefficient to apply compostable stickers only to small amount of produce bound for the South Australian market.
Impacts on composting
The Australian Organics Recycling Association has called for a ban on plastic produce stickers, alongside food bag tags and expanded polystyrene food packaging (both of which are already banned in South Australia), due to their presence as contaminants in FOGO streams, requiring additional management at composting facilities.
Governments and industry have invested over the last decade in the roll-out of household and commercial organics systems, as well as improved capability and capacity of the composting sector to process organic waste materials. Currently, more than 80% of South Australian households have access to a household green FOGO bin to divert food waste and garden organics from landfill.
Despite significant investment in advanced contamination removal infrastructure at commercial composting facilities, the small size of plastic produce stickers means that these may still present in compost products. Home and community composters need to remove plastic produce stickers by hand from systems, adding to the resourcing required at home, schools and community facilities.
Once in compost, they enter the environment, including in home gardening, landscaping and agricultural applications. As compost decomposes, the stickers remain, causing environmental impacts.
Read more about the impacts of plastic produce stickers on compost.