Those little stickers on fruit & veg get into my compost from the kitchen waste. They survive a year in the compost bin & then goodness knows how long in my veggie garden. The one in the pic must have been from 2 years ago & it's as good as new. They are indestructible plastic! Why? I know this is not a huge deal. It really irritates me though. I run my garden close to organic as I can & then these bits of plastic show up in the soil. Does anyone know who designates & produces these things? Who can I write to? With the kltchen waste recycling schemes coming-on around the Lower Mainland, the mulches produced are going to be full of the things.
You might try this organization: http://organicconsumers.org/canada/index.cfm I daresay that they might be able to help you, or to suggest where to go next. And when I read your post, I thought: Weren't paper/plastic labels supposed to be replaced with laser 'tattoos'...? Whatever happened to that idea? (Granted, this is a USDA project, but might have ramifications for Canada.) So I looked it up. Yep, it HAS been a while: http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/11/laser-labeling-coming-soon-to-fruits-vegetables/ Sure have not noticed any lack of labels at my store! So...? I assume the usual bureaucratic glacial snail's pace to be the reason for this. Maybe next year!
Thanks togata57. You made me think a little, instead of being merely irate. I have sent an email to Canada Food Inspection Agency. I will send a couple of others as well.
Let us know if you get responses! Hey, nothing wrong with being irate. Indication that subject is important to you. The trick is to take that energy and funnel it in directions that will help solve the problem, resolve the issue. Good luck in your quest!
Quote of email below: " "Those little stickers" on fruit and vegetables that you speak of are not a requirement of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. I believe that most of them are used to provide a bar code (UPC) on the product, which makes it easier for the store to scan and process them at the till. As such my suggestion would be to contact the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, http://ccgd.ca/ and present your questions for their attention. I hope that this information is helpful. Ken Randa Ken Randa Food Specialist / Spécialiste des alimentation, Fair Labelling Practices Program / Programme des practiques equitables d'etiquetage Canadian Food Inspection Agency / Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments" I thanked him for the prompt & informative response. Guess where my next email goes? If anyone else is bugged by these things, you can send the CCGC a message as well. there should be a better way of handling fruit coding.
So do I...most of the time. Sometimes they slip through & we either slice 'em up & eat them (!), or they get in the compost pail. Also such fine distinctions go past other people (spouse (shh!), children & guests). Many people have trouble sorting into compost at all. they don't have a good grasp of the concept. I have a new protest idea. I am going to remove them from the fruit & veg in the store & stick them on the display fixture. The store can then do with them what they choose. After all, I can still distinguish an apple from a tomato, so obviously these labels are not for my benefit. I just won't take them home. Ha!
Hmm. Think of the hapless store employees who must remove the stickers or be written up by eagle-eyed supervisors for permitting an untidy appearance of their area. What I do is apply the stickers to the lid of the plastic box containing my coupons, check book, etc. that I tote to the store each week. Been accumulating them for years now. Favorites are 'Horned Fruit' and 'Saturn Peach'. Children of the appropriate age often enjoy wearing them, or viewing their parent doing so. Dashboard of the car is a good place too. Or, create an artwork---collage sorta thing.