Coveris, TIPA seal exclusive deal for home compostable produce labels in UK

UK – Coveris, a leading packaging manufacturer, and TIPA Compostable Packaging have signed an exclusive agreement to produce and distribute home compostable labels for fresh produce across the UK market. 

The partnership targets the growing need for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic stickers, as regulatory pressures mount worldwide.

According to industry observers, this move comes at a critical time. Deadlines for mandatory compostable stickers on fresh produce draw near in the European Union, New Zealand, and Australia. 

In the UK, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the UK Plastics Pact actively promote the shift to such solutions, aiming to cut down on plastic waste in organic streams. 

The new labels, made from TIPA’s certified materials, break down in home compost systems within months, leaving no microplastics behind.

Will Mercer, R&D director for Coveris’s paper business unit, highlighted the technical edge of the product. 

He stated that the labels offer high elasticity and strong moisture resistance, ensuring they stick firmly to items like apples, citrus fruits, kiwis, and avocados even on damp surfaces. 

Mercer added that the collaboration merges TIPA’s material science with Coveris’s printing expertise and supply chain knowledge to deliver a solution that handles environmental rules, daily operations, and performance demands.

The agreement builds on TIPA’s recent innovations. 

Just weeks ago, TIPA teamed up with its European arm, Bio4Pack, to roll out a similar home compostable label using BioTak adhesive technology, the first fully certified to European standards without residue. 

This adhesive grips produce with uneven textures, from smooth bananas to rough potatoes, and supports the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). 

The PPWR, published in January 2025 and set to apply broadly from August 2026, requires compostable options for fruit and vegetable labels by February 2028, with exemptions for sticky produce tags that meet industrial or home composting criteria.

In a statement, TIPA noted that the Coveris deal expands access to these labels for UK retailers, packers, and growers. 

The company emphasized how the stickers perform like conventional ones but divert waste from landfills, fitting into broader efforts to phase out single-use plastics. 

Early tests show the labels withstand handling and storage without peeling, reducing food waste from damaged goods.

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