We all think we're acting responsibly by separating our waste into different bins each week.
But when did you last give a second thought about the plastic sticker on your apple?
When you discard that sticker - one of billions produced each year - it becomes an environmental pollutant, part of the vast amount of plastic we dispose of annually.
Governments haven't ignored the problem. In some countries, such as New Zealand and France, non-compostable stickers and labels have already been banned.
Australian governments are also cognisant of the need for change.
South Australia will introduce its own ban on non-compostable stickers in September 2025, effectively creating a deadline to create a new form of labelling. National packaging targets have been set for December 31 next year to eliminate single-use plastic packaging and have all packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
This will mean plenty of change in the produce industry.
Derek Stamatis, co-owner of the long-established Regional Wholesale Fruit Market in Beard, said about 5 to 10 per cent of the produce his company bought had stickers affixed - "some of the apples, some of the mandarins" - and had for some time.
"At least 20 years, probably more," he said.
He said most of his company's produce was purchased from Sydney markets and the majority of it was destined for the hospitality industry, such as hotels.
"Tomatoes and salad mix have the biggest turnarounds," he said.
But the bulk of fresh produce in Australia ends up in supermarkets such as Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Costco.
Rich Red Fruits general manager Dwayne Millard, of Batlow, said the paper-based laminate labels were affixed during the grading and packing process before produce was sold to wholesalers in Sydney and Melbourne and supermarket chains.
The labels contain data such as the PLU (price look-up code), product variety, packing house and country of origin so purchasers can enter or scan the details into their point of sale systems and the items can be traced to the source.
"They've been around for quite some time - PLU codes were first used in 1990," Mr Millard said.
The mixed-material labels were more cost-effective than biodegradable, recycled or virgin paper labels, he said.
Regarding laser printing, which has been in limited use for about 20 years in other countries such as Japan, Mr Millard said it would cost "way too much" to implement here because of the infrastructure needed.
However, Mr Millard acknowledged the current labels would be replaced eventually and said the "minimal" cost would be absorbed through the supply chain.
Rich Red Fruits' labels, along with those of many other growers, are made by J-Tech Systems in Albury-Wodonga, which has the majority of the market.
J-Tech Systems' national sales manager, Ben Nicoll, said the company had been testing alternatives in anticipation of the South Australian deadline, including paper and plant-based products and hoped to have a label ready by early next year.
One possibility was labelling that could be sent to be commercially composted.
The other was what Mr Nicoll called "the Holy Grail": labelling that would break down in a home composting environment, meeting Australian standard 5810 for compostability.
ACT Rural Landholders' Association president Fred McGrath said stickers were not an issue for local growers who sold their produce on-site or at markets.
An ACT government spokesperson said: "The ACT government has banned a number of single-use plastics over the past few years.
"The ACT government is currently developing a long-term plan for phasing out problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic items and transitioning to more sustainable alternatives, in line with circular economy principles. New items may be considered for future phase out, including plastic stickers on fruits and vegetables."
A Woolworths spokesperson said: "We're always looking for more sustainable packaging alternatives ... in recent years, we've removed thousands of tonnes of plastic from our stores and we'll continue to boost the sustainability of our packaging."
A spokesperson for Coles said the company was investigating alternatives to plastic stickers as part of its ongoing efforts to minimise plastic in its stores.
