Zespri to fully adopt home compostable labels
Kiwifruit exporter Zespri has announced that it will soon label all its products as home compostable, a world first. The development addresses a challenge the industry has faced for more than a decade. Zespri executive Tim Mackle said that most of its fruit will be labeled this year.
By next season, Zespri kiwifruit, whether grown in New Zealand or overseas, will be equipped with stickers that will completely decompose in a compost bin within a year. Mackle pointed out that although other fruit brands also use home compostable labels, they have not yet achieved full market coverage.
The label, developed jointly by Zespri and Sinclair, was launched in October last year, but the transition from plastic labels needs to be gradual. Mackle explained: "Each label consists of three layers - the surface printing ink, the middle label substrate, and the bottom adhesive, all of which must meet the home composting standards."
Technical difficulties include how to firmly label the densely fuzzy green kiwifruit surface and ensure the durability of the label during cold storage and market circulation. Although the specific ingredients are trade secrets, all materials meet global compost certification standards.
Mackle emphasized: "Some European countries such as France and Belgium have now enforced such labels, and the New Zealand domestic market also has this requirement - all domestically sold fruits must be equipped with home composting labels."
