Futamura and Bio4Life have partnered to develop a compostable pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) label designed to help retailers and fresh-produce packers remove conventional plastic stickers from fruit and vegetables.
The collaboration combines the capabilities needed to produce a certified home-compostable label. Futamura’s NatureFlex cellulose films act as the renewable, home-compostable facestock, while Bio4Life’s technology provides the certified compostable adhesive required for label application.
The resulting label is designed to deliver reliable performance while remaining renewable and food-safe. It can be processed through both industrial and home composting systems and is suitable for a variety of fresh produce, including apples, citrus fruit, avocados and kiwis.
Most traditional PSA labels rely on fossil-based plastic films and adhesives that are not compostable. When consumers discard stickers with fruit and vegetable peelings, the labels can enter organic waste streams and anaerobic digestion facilities. Because these small stickers are difficult to remove, and conventional plastics generally do not degrade in anaerobic environments, they may contaminate the resulting digestate.
Futamura says its NatureFlex films are suitable for anaerobic digestion and break down during the process, helping to prevent contamination. This characteristic supports wider food and drink sustainability objectives and reflects current food and beverage industry trends focused on reducing fossil-based materials.
The new compostable PSA label brings both technologies together to address demand for more environmentally responsible food and drink packaging. Bio4Life says its certified home- and industrial-compostable label stock maintains the performance, print quality and application efficiency required by the fresh-produce sector.
The development also aligns with wider food manufacturing trends and advances in food processing technology, where packaging formats are increasingly being assessed alongside production and waste-management systems. As food distribution trends continue to evolve, compostable labels could help brands and retailers respond to changing food and drink consumer trends while supporting more circular supply chains.
Gerard Benthem, sales manager, Futamura, said: “Compostable fruit and vegetable labels are a great innovation that supports a truly circular economy. Bio4life and Futamura have a shared vision for the future of labelling, and we hope to help brands and retailers’ transition away from conventional plastics to renewable and compostable label materials.”
Marcel de Oude, Co-owner of Bio4life, said: “Our home compostable adhesive technology BioTAK is designed to work hand-in-hand with renewable home compostable substrates like NatureFlex. This partnership showcases how collaboration can accelerate the shift toward packaging that supports a circular economy.”
The launch reflects broader food and drink industry innovation, while also highlighting the importance of food and drink regulations, responsible food and drink marketing and material choices that support end-of-life recovery.
