South Australia is postponing its planned ban on non-compostable plastic fruit stickers, originally due to start on 1 September 2025. The decision follows feedback from producers, who raised concerns about cost pressures, a lack of compostable alternatives, and inconsistent labelling rules between states.
The ban would have applied to stickers used on fresh produce like apples, citrus and avocados, requiring them to meet Australian composting standards. Growers and industry groups, including Citrus SA, Citrus Australia, Bache Brothers and Venus Fruits, took part in a recent roundtable that led to the pause.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment Susan Close told The Guardian that the government would now work with New South Wales to coordinate a revised timeline for phasing out plastic stickers.
She alluded to NSW's commitment to ban plastic fruit stickers and move to compostable alternatives by 2030, and noted that the states would be in talks on making this happen sooner.
Close also noted that while the stickers are not generally liked by the public, the government did not want to cause disruption in supermarkets, nor did it want to harm local producers.
The move away from plastic labels is part of a broader push to reduce contamination in organic waste streams. Stickers that remain on fruit skins often end up in compost bins, creating challenges for processors.
Compostable sticker options including those meeting AS 4736:2006 for industrial composting or AS 5810:2010 for home composting are currently available, but growers say they come at a higher cost. An apple grower, cited in an article on ABC, said compostable options were “almost twice the price” and raised concerns about compatibility with existing machinery and adhesive performance.
Growers concur that plastic stickers will ultimately be a thing of the past, but that nationally harmonised regulation is required to be fair to all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, one company that is promoting an alternative to all stickers, is Result Group, with its laser-based Natural Branding system. The technology uses laser to etch required information directly onto the skin of produce, eliminating the need for adhesives, liners, and labels entirely.
According to the company, the solution is already in commercial use, including during recent campaigns with Costa Group and Woolworths. It says consumer feedback has been positive, and that Natural Branding reduces labour, waste and consumable inputs while maintaining fruit quality.
“We see this pause as a valuable opportunity to demonstrate what else is possible,” said Michael Dossor, general manager at Result Group. “Natural Branding is not a concept, it’s commercially ready and already delivering results. What we need now is support from government and industry to scale it further.”
Dossor said the company has developed tailored laser systems for various fruit types, including thin-skinned produce, and is also working on integrating 2D code capabilities for POS scanning, traceability and compliance.
While the sticker ban is on hold, the South Australian government will proceed with other single-use plastic phase-outs from September 2025, including plastic fish-shaped soy sauce bottles and plastic cutlery attached to food and drink packaging.
