UNWRAPPED: THE TRUTH ABOUT SUPERMARKET PLASTIC

Supermarkets in Australia are a $130.2 billion industry, responsible for the majority of household plastic packaging.

For far too long, Australian supermarkets have escaped scrutiny for their massive plastic waste. They've been flooding the market with hard-to-recycle packaging, prioritising convenience over environmental health. Without strict laws to limit plastic production, these supermarkets continue to sidestep public accountability, leaving our planet to bear the burden.

Supermarkets Are Failing to Shift Their Plastic Habits: Our 2024 Report 

The Boomerang Alliance and the Australian Marine Conservation Society have released the 2024 Supermarket Report, an annual audit of major supermarkets' plastic packaging use. This report is made possible by thousands of passionate supporters who act as secret shoppers, gathering data from their local stores to help us assess what's really happening.

 

While there have been some improvements, the findings show that supermarkets are still far too slow in tackling their plastic problem. Shockingly, plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables remain cheaper than loose produce in 73% of cases. Reusable container options are scarce, and supermarkets continue to focus on recycling packaging rather than prioritising reduction or avoidance.

 

In our rankings, Woolworths came out on top – but only with a score of 38%. This is far from good enough and pales in comparison to leading supermarkets in Europe. Adding to the challenge, recycling labels often mislead consumers, creating confusion about proper disposal.

 

It’s clear that Australian supermarkets must step up their efforts. For more details, check out our report here. 

 

What Did Our Report First Comprehensive Report in 2023 Find? 

Ever wondered how your supermarket ranks? You can take a peek at our first-ever independent audit of supermarket plastic use in Australia.

Aldi leads the way in the Australian supermarket sector, achieving the highest score in 2023, with Coles, Woolworths, and Metcash (IGA, Foodland, and others) foll

owing.

 

KEY FINDINGS

  • Most supermarkets are not transparent about their plastic footprint.

  • Reuse and refill systems need to be scaled up urgently, to provide consumers with cost comparative options without unnecessary plastic packaging

  • Leading supermarkets are not prioritising removal of plastic, over-relying on false solutions such as 'lightweighting' - making packaging lighter to claim plastic reductions.

  • Loose fresh produce is frequently more expensive than plastic-packed produce, pushing consumers towards unnecessary plastic packaging, and penalises those who try to reduce their plastic consumption in a cost-of-living crisis.

  • Supplier packaging guidelines are rarely enforced, allowing suppliers to use whatever packaging option is cheapest or easiest to print marketing material onto.

  • Recycling and recycled content was the worst-performing area of all assessed categories. In spite of the message coming from Australian supermarkets, little real progress has been made on increasing the recycled content in plastic packaging, diminishing recycling efforts and the vision of creating a circular economy for plastics in Australia.

Australians have been doing our part- recycling and picking up trash. But unless we stop plastic at the source, it is just a band-aid solution and our incredible marine life will continue to suffer the consequences.

For more information on our report view our audit framework and volunteer surveys.

 

You Can Help Keep Supermarkets Accountable

For the first time, Australia’s federal, state, and territory governments have come together to develop new laws on plastic packaging, thanks to pressure from Boomerang Alliance supporters like you.

Will you help us create change today? 

 

 

Our Wins So Far 


Showing 1 reaction

Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.