Montague Farms says it’s implementing “industry-leading” sustainable innovations in this year’s Jazz apples harvest.

According to the company, Jazz apples are the first of their kind to undergo a compostable sticker trial.

“Apples are considered a generally environmentally friendly snack, as their trees help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are mostly sold as ‘loose’ apples, which means without bulky or unnecessary plastic packaging,” says Montague Farms.

“However, in Australia, the majority of apples sold must have a sticker, which is important for traceability and quality purposes. These stickers are typically manufactured with single-use plastic, which means they can’t be recycled or be used for home or industrial composting.”

This is where Montague Farms says it aims to “change the game”.

Over the past 18 months, Montague Farms has been working with its sticker supplier, J-Tech, to launch a home compostable fruit sticker onto the Australian market.

Promoted as a “revolutionary” sticker, Sinclair – T55 is officially certified safe for home composting by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) and compliant to global composting standards. In February this year, Montague Farms conducted an initial trial on a range of plums sold through Coles and Woolworths, which proved successful.

“The Sinclair – T55 sticker is over 17 years of research and development,” says Sinclair Senior Marketing Manager Duncan Jones.

“It has only been recently possible with the advancement of technologies and environmentally conscious materials.

“As well as ensuring the compostable end-of-life performance of the sticker, key to ensure the application performance was equivalent to conventional fruit stickers and worked on existing labelling systems a viable choice.”

The Jazz apples compostable sticker trial commences this month, expected to last about three months in retailers.

“This innovative trial of the T55 compostable sticker met our expectations, with sticker retention on the fruit performing in line with supply chain requirements,” says Montague Farms Head of Strategy and Innovation Rowan Little.

“While still in the early stages, the success of initial trials represents a promising step forward in Montague Farms’ ongoing efforts to improve sustainability within the fruit industry.”