Industrial compostable fruit labels

The T55 label material is a compostable film unique to Sinclair. The exact composition of the material is proprietary information so we are unable to disclose it. The label material has been developed uniquely for automated, high-speed application to all types of fresh produce by Sinclair. It is food-safe, certified home and industrial compostable and provides performance, equivalent to or better than conventional PE/PP fruit labels, with the added benefit of safely becoming part of usable soil enriching compost.

Yes, it is equivalent or better in some cases when using Sinclair-T55. Labeling trials have been completed on a wide variety of fresh produce, including apples, kiwi, avocados, pears, and oranges. The compostable fruit label trials were run on our labeling systems (excluding the Print on Demand system) in a wide variety of packinghouse conditions, with shipping trials also completed.

We offer label trials; please contact your representative for more information.

1. Certification requires laboratory testing, at approved laboratories, of the produce label to specified test methods:

– Disintegration of the label to the specified extent within the specified time
– Biodegradation of the label to the specified extent within the specified time
– The fruit label contains no harmful substances
– The composted label is not harmful to plant species or animal species

2. Label samples and the laboratory test results are provided to the independent certifying body for verification to determine compliance with the certifying body’s requirements.

3. On successful verification, a certificate is issued, and permission to use the certification body logo with the required reference for certification is issued. Check our certifications.

If you already label your fresh produce with us no change is necessary. Our certified compostable labels are designed to work with any Sinclair labeling system.

No. For food safety purposes, the material must be made from virgin components.

All our labels meet all EU and FDA food safety requirements for direct contact onto fresh produce.

We pride ourselves on our extremely high standards for food safety and quality. As regulations change, we are seeing an increase in demand for supplier questionnaires and corresponding food safety requests. We are committed to supporting our customer’s food safety programs and to do so we provide our customers a Quality Assurance and Food Safety (QAFS) and Declarations of Compliance.

A fruit label is manufactured using 3 components – adhesive, face stock and inks. If each component is certified compostable, when combined to create a new product construction, it does not automatically mean they will all behave the same way in the composting process as when they were separate components. Combining or “stacking” components in layers can inhibit or change the composting performance.

‘Finished Products’, “intermediate materials” and ‘Components’ certifications use the same testing and verification methodology, but ‘Finished Products’ certification is considered the ‘Gold Standard’. It clearly demonstrates that no part of a finished product has an adverse environmental impact in the composting process.