Woolworths have come out swinging against Coles with a new plastic-free collectable campaign.
Shortly after the launch of the Stikeez promotion, featuring fresh produce characters made from plastic, the rival retailer has released their 'practically' eco-friendly alternative, 'Disney Words.'
From Wednesday February 27, customers will be able to collect 36 tiles featuring a Disney character on one side and a letter on the flip side for use in various word games.
And the kicker - the tiles are made of tin-plated steel and come in a paper wrapper which Woolworths claim are recyclable through council kerbside collections.
Images: Woolworths
Boomerang Alliance applauds Woolworths for 'raising the bar' and putting actual consideration into their plastic footprint.
'We are pleased to see that Woolworths have put thought into this promotion and its plastic footprint,' said Boomerang Alliance deputy director Jayne Paramor.
'As a follow up to their environmentally sensitive cardboard Christmas pop-outs promotion, Woolworths have raised the bar with the Disney collectables.'
Customers can also purchase a carry bag to hold the loose tiles or a magnetic message board. There is also an album, which contains some plastic but a Woolworths spokeswoman said that all other related items in the promotion are completely plastic-free.
'The collector case has both FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) paper and a plastic component,' said Woolworths Head of Sustainability Adrian Cullen, 'but it's also a board game that can be enjoyed by customers and their families again and again.'
And as the album is a discretionary purchase, Jayne agrees that 'the promotion is essentially plastic-free.'
Images: Woolworths
Earlier this month, more than 11,000 people sent a pre-filled email slamming Coles over their plastic Stikeez figurines. It comes after the retailer launched their divisive Little Shop campaign last year, featuring miniature versions of grocery items such as bananas and Tim Tams.
At the time, Coles assured the Little Shop collectables would not wind up as litter or in landfill because they were designed to be treasured. As many of our followers have pointed out, this has not been the case with toys washing up on beaches in Australia and abroad.
And Jayne Paramor maintains the new Disney Word collection has a far higher educational value, reinforcing a greater likelihood the toys will be retained over time.
'The full collection of tiles creates a set of games that will encourage children to utilise cognitive and comprehension skills, adding an educational element to the collection.
'And the Disney tiles have a far more collectable profile, adding to an already rich world of Disney collectables in which these are likely to retain value over time.
'In comparison with other plastic-based retailer promotions that have been released of late, Woolworths has ticked some encouraging boxes and we congratulate them on making the effort to minimise the footprint of these giveaways.
Images: Woolworths
