-
Sara Gibson published Boomerang Alliance have called on major supermarkets to change soft plastics labels in Latest News 2024-04-25 15:46:22 +1000
Boomerang Alliance have called on major supermarkets to change soft plastics labels
In a recent investigation on supermarket practices, we found that many products that used soft plastic wrapping still had labels advising consumers to return the wrapping to the store, even when no collection service existed. The REDcycle soft plastics collection service collapsed in October 2022 and has not been replaced.
In our random sample of products we picked fresh produce and common items, products that would have been packaged more recently.
We also found that some brands had changed their labels to advise the wrapping went to waste. Not a great outcome but more honest.
The Boomerang Alliance has called on supermarkets and other retailers to remove these labels or provide a collection service.
We have asked the Commonwealth and the ACCC to act on this. What is the point of labels if they don't provide accurate information?
See our latest media release on the subject here.
-
Sara Gibson published The Boomerang Alliance calls on Senate to support a National Circular Economy in Latest News 2024-04-18 11:27:08 +1000
The Boomerang Alliance calls on Senate to support a National Circular Economy
In its submission to the Senate Inquiry on Commonwealth waste and recycling policies, the Boomerang Alliance has called for Commonwealth action to fix national waste laws.
The only way to reduce and eliminate waste is to abandon the linear economy model of make-use-throwaway and switch to a circular economy approach. The best way to achieve this is for producers of products to be responsible for their products through their entire lifecycle, not just when they manufacture them.
The Boomerang Alliance has called for:
- A national circular economy policy framework and its regulated adoption by all States and Territories.
- All existing and future product stewardship schemes are to be mandatory schemes.
- Commonwealth policies are to be aligned with State and Territory bans on particular products and landfill disposal, and the promotion of reuse of resources.
-
Supermarket Progress Report
March 2024 
Update: Supermarket Progress Report
Last year in the first independent audit of plastic on Australia's supermarket shelves, The Australian Marine Conservation Society and Boomerang Alliance uncovered a worrying lack of progress in reducing plastic packaging.
As we work towards the second report, we wanted to show you what progress the supermarkets have made since the release of our report.
As a Boomerang Alliance supporter, I wanted to make sure you were kept up to date on how the supermarkets are tracking.
It's been five months since we released Australia's first independent report on supermarkets. Yet every time I walk into a supermarket, I'm astounded by the amount of unnecessary plastic surrounding me.
It's on every shelf, in every aisle. It's at the checkout, it's on our fresh fruit and vegetables and less than 20% ever gets recovered. Mostly it ends up in landfills or littered in the environment and our oceans. By reducing the amount of plastic on supermarket shelves, we know we can drive down the estimated 145,000 tonnes of plastic pollution that flows into Australia's oceans every year 1.
Last year, we conducted Australia's first independent audit of the big 4 supermarkets, so that shoppers like you can clearly see what each of the supermarkets are doing to deal with their plastic addiction.
We've followed up on our Top 5 Recommendations to see how the supermarkets are tracking. While some supermarkets have made progress, others are trailing behind.
1 O’Farrell, K., Harney, F., & Chakma, P. (2021). Australian Plastics Flows and Fates Study 2019-20 - NationalReport. Prepared for the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
What we're welcoming:
- Woolworths have phased out integrated single-use plastic straws and cutlery in their own-brand products and have a requirement that all products stocked on their shelves do the same by the end of 2024.
- Coles have expanded a trial in SA allowing customers to BYO containers for some deli items.
We're disappointed to see:
- No supermarket has committed to ensure loose fresh produce is the same price or cheaper than pre-packaged fresh produce.
- No supermarket has committed to reducing the volume of single-serve or small portion items.
The big 4 supermarkets in Australia are all claiming they're leading the way in plastic reductions, but we're not seeing the results. In 2023, packaging and soft plastics combined made up 69.7% of all plastics collected in cleans up around Australia 2.
Right now, we're conducting our 2024 audit. We're committed to bringing accountability to supermarkets in Australia and will release the second report later this year.
This work doesn't happen without your support. The supermarkets have now taken notice. We need to keep the pressure on them to get the actions needed.
Jeff AngelDirectorBoomerang Alliance
Australia generates more single-use plastic waste per person than any other country except Singapore - Minderoo Foundation, Plastic Wastemaker Index.
With your help, we have a very rare opportunity to turn the tide on plastic waste and pollution. Australia's environment ministers have recently agreed to an ambitious packaging reform, with federal Minister Tanya Plibersek calling for a "Plastic-Pollution-Free Pacific in our lifetimes" – committing to world-leading regulation in 2024. This is our chance, but it won’t happen without cutting the amount of plastic we use in the first place.
CAN YOU HELP US MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
We would not have been able to do all this work without you and your support by making a donation, signing a petition, sharing our social media posts and sending us words of encouragement. We still have much work to do this year and we hope you will continue to help us.
Please donate so we can continue our fight against plastic pollution. 
