Plastic produce stickers – Industry transition

South Australia was to be the first Australian jurisdiction to put in place a ban on plastic produce stickers in 2025. To provide industry with sufficient notification of the upcoming bans, a public announcement on the ban was made in November 2022 following a public consultation process on the proposed ban. To invite further feedback, invitations to key peak bodies to comment on draft regulations were sent in January 2024, and notification of finalised regulations provided to key peak bodies and retailers in May 2024. 

Correspondence received by Green Industries SA in early 2025 indicated that many growers were not aware of the ban until February 2025 when the major supermarkets contacted their local and interstate produce suppliers about the upcoming changes for South Australia.

Subsequent consultations with growers, peak bodies, label suppliers and the large supermarket retailers in the first half of 2025 highlighted that very few producers had moved to using or trialling the certified compostable produce labels. Certified compostable label (including the adhesive) options, are commercially available and compatible with most current labelling equipment used by growers and in large scale packing sheds.

Laser etching options are also on the market, targeting produce where the skin is not consumed. It is noted that there is a slower throughput with this technology than with traditional stickering equipment, suggesting that it is most suited to specialty ranges only.

A key issue for many growers to transition away from conventional plastic stickers was a lack of national harmonisation, resulting in more expensive compostable labels being required only in the small South Australian market and not larger, more populated jurisdictions. 

For most suppliers, the South Australian market for fresh fruit and vegetables represents a very small share. Without a ban on non-compostable produce stickers, from the producers’ perspective there is no financial incentive to move away from non-compostable stickers. During consultations, peak bodies indicated that their growers are open to moving to compostable stickers if a larger domestic market required them (such as Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria).

A small number of growers and peak bodies were aware of the upcoming New Zealand ban on non-compostable stickers on imported produce, originally due to come into effect on 1 July 2025 that has been delayed until 1 July 2028. The New Zealand decision was influenced by an upcoming ban on non-compostable stickers coming into effect in the European Union (EU) from February 2028. 

The New South Wales government has recently announced that a ban on non-compostable stickers will commence at the start of 2030.

South Australia continues to work with stakeholders in setting a new implementation date for the paused ban, taking into consideration the impacts on growers and composting sectors, alongside timelines of announced bans.