Plastic stickers on fruit and vegetables are an annoyance for consumers and even more problematic for the environment.

They’re tricky to peel off and easy to accidentally eat. But the bigger problem is that they’re non-recyclable and non-compostable, so most of them end up either in landfill or waterways.

But getting rid of these stickers ­seems to be more challenging than other single-use plastics such as drinking straws, shopping bags, cutlery and food containers.

South Australia, which recently banned plastic soy sauce fish containers as part of its crackdown on single-use plastics, had intended to outlaw non-compostable fruit and vegetable stickers at the same time but decided to delay the move.

The state government said the delay was in response to concerns from industry bodies and growers, especially during a drought.

“The pause provides more time for South Australia to seek harmonisation with other states and for growers to transition their processes,” it said.

It also gives it time to look at alternatives, which include laser etching, paper produce stickers without plastic coating, and certified compostable plastic produce stickers.

Because despite being problematic, stickers (also known as PLUs, or price look-up codes) are useful: They contain price information for supermarket checkout scanners and sometimes have produce details such as the variety, where it was grown and whether it is organic.

Tasmania has also committed to getting rid of plastic fruit stickers, while NSW ­– as part of its efforts to tackle the 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste the state generates each year – is aiming to phase them out by 2030.

No other state or territory has any immediate plans to ban them, according to a National Retail Association spreadsheet on the current state of plastic legislation.

Fruit stickers won’t disappear in the immediate future. Photo: PX Here

The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance has argued that SA’s original timeframe was unrealistic and gave industry too little time to transition to compostable produce stickers.

In a submission on the NSW government’s “Next Steps” plastics report, it said produce stickers had a “vital role” in meeting retail and regulatory requirements.

“While alternatives to stickers on fruit exist, such as plastic film wrap or laser labelling, they are not as holistically environmentally friendly, commercially viable at scale, or readily available,” it said.

An Adelaide Hills apple grower who has already started using compostable stickers, told the ABC earlier this year they cost him almost twice the price and were more likely to fall off due to the adhesives used.

Nonetheless, Joseph Ceravolo was in favour of a national approach to banning them.

“This is the next logical step to take in terms of reducing plastic in the industry, but it needs most of the major states to shift at the same time to make a level playing field for everybody and so we can guarantee supply,” he said.

Laser labelling is one alternative to stickers on produce. Photo: Result Group

SA’s Environment Minister, Susan Close, has said the state will work with NSW to implement a ban on non-compostable stickers at the same time, which could help reduce the cost of alternatives.

An explanation on South Australia’s “Replace the Waste” website offers some insight into the complexity of the proposed ban. It said it wouldn’t apply to SA produce sold into markets interstate, but that “businesses that import fruit into South Australia must ensure that where fruit and vegetables are labelled, those labels comply with the South Australian regulations”.

It noted that while plastic produce stickers should be removed before items were put in home compost or council organics bins, this did not always happen.

“The ban will ensure that plastic produce stickers do not turn up as a contaminant in compost outputs.”

Clean Up Australia says that if the non-compostable stickers do end up in compost, they break down into micro-plastics, which pollute soil and waterways. It said the stickers also make it more difficult for businesses to dispose of spoiled or damaged produce.

“Unfortunately, large quantities of damaged produce with PLUs end up in landfill where they produce methane emissions which contribute to greenhouse gases,” says an article on the organisation’s website.

Elsewhere in the world, France has already banned plastic produce stickers, and a public campaign has just been launched in the UK urging it to follow suit. New Zealand planned to introduce a ban in July but moved that back to 2028, blaming the delay on the difficulty in finding a widely available compostable adhesive.

In terms of legislation in Australia, it seems to be a case of “watch this space”. Meanwhile, remember to keep peeling off those plastic stickers before putting fruit in the compost ­– or your mouth.