Did you know that produce stickers are not biodegradable? That’s right, those little produce stickers won’t break down in compost. That’s why we’ve made a fun little produce sticker collection sheet to help you (and us) keep produce stickers out of the compost bin. We also have some fun facts about the purpose of those stickers and what the numbers mean!
Download the produce Sticker Collection sheet
We’ve made two different produce sticker collection sheets.
- One is for our customers with a reminder to fill up the sticker collection sheet and share on social media to get $5 off their next bill!
- The other one is made for compost lovers who aren’t Naples Compost customers and don’t need the $5 off coupon reminder.
Facts and FAQ about produce stickers
Produce stickers are probably something you haven’t given much thought. However, they pose more of a problem than you might think. With the rise in popularity of composting, compost facilities are having a hard time filtering produce stickers out of the dirt. Since stickers are made of plastic, this can be a problem if the stickers get into finished compost.
Now that you understand the problems, here are some frequently asked questions about produce stickers.
Are produce stickers compostable?
Nope.
Since produce stickers are made of a thin layer of plastic and paper, they are not compostable or biodegradable.
Are produce stickers edible?
Nope.
For the same reasons that produce stickers are not compostable or biodegradable, they are also not edible.
It seems like many people have heard the rumor that produce stickers are designed to be ingested. This is a crazy urban myth. You should not eat produce stickers.
Why do they put produce stickers on fruit and vegetables?
Produce stickers have the PLU, or price lookup number, on them to help the checkout person enter the right price. Stickers also contain helpful information regarding the origins of the food and the methodology of how it was grown- organic, non-GMO, etc.
What do the numbers on produce stickers mean?
There are 3 types of numbers on produce stickers:
- 4 digit numbers- this means the produce was grown conventionally
- 5 digit numbers beginning with an 8- this means that the produce has been genetically modified
- 5 digit numbers beginning with a 9- this means the produce has been grown organically
Learn More about composting
Excited to compost? Learn more here: