Meet the plastics

words by: tara wesson

YLike “The Plastics” of Mean Girls (2004), the big supermarket trifecta is, upon closer examination, full of plastic. Months on from the #banthebag movement that swept Australia, how are these giants shouldering their eco-responsibility?

You’d have to live under a rock, or never go to the supermarket, not to remember major supermarkets attempting to ban single use plastic bags, and the controversial back and forth that followed. Coles and Woolworths hung on to their original plan to #banthebag, once the media storm calmed down, and have now phased out single use plastic bags completely.

Single use plastic bags aren’t the be all and end all, however, as critics have argued that the much debated pledge was tokenistic. And the critics may have a point.

When you walk into the fresh produce section of a Woolworths, what do you bag your fruit in? That culpable, thin plastic bag. What are baked goods packaged in? A plastic container, wrapped in more plastic.

Here on the Northern Beaches, we care about our oceans, and the many creatures that call it home. Plastics threaten the iconic Little Penguins of Manly, not to mention turtles, cormorants, and fish that consume harmful microplastics. So, what are the major supermarkets doing, in doing their bit to work towards a plastic-free future?

“We understand many of our customers want us to reduce plastic and we’re working to do just that. Over the last two years, we have removed around 1000 tonnes of plastic from our fruit and vegetables and bakery ranges,” said a Woolworths spokesperson.

Key Woolworths plastic reduction initiatives include the removal of plastic wrapping from tomatoes, organic bananas, spring onions, celery and kale. Woolworths has also switched stone fruit and apple punnets from plastic to recyclable cardboard, and have introduced new pulp based packaging for bakery items. Their reductions take more than 3.2 billion plastic bags out of circulation annually, according to a Woolworths spokesperson.

According to a Coles spokesperson, “we understand the importance of appropriate packaging in maintaining food safety, supporting product longevity and reducing food waste. At the same time Coles is committed to making our packaging more sustainable.”

Coles wants to be recognised for being Australia’s most sustainable supermarket and we have released a range of initiatives and commitments to drive more sustainable operations, to reduce our impact on the planet and to help our customers and team members lead healthy lives.

This includes the REDcycle initiative, in which both Woolworths and Coles allow customers to return and recycle soft plastics for repurposing.

“Coles is also actively working with our suppliers on more sustainable and recyclable forms of packaging across all products. Coles is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant, which sets sustainable packaging guidelines and we also have our own Sustainable Packaging Policy. Our journey to becoming a truly sustainable company will take time, but these commitments are an important first step.” said the Coles spokesperson.

A spokesperson from Aldi, said similarly, “Despite our desire, and that of our customers, to reduce plastics immediately, this process will take years not weeks.

While we are ambitiously reducing the amount of plastic in our stores, we are also considering how to stimulate

Australia’s circular economy and support the development of recycling infrastructure needed to close the loop.”

Aldi has announced that they will be working in close collaboration with their business partners to reduce plastic packaging by 25% by the end of 2025; with the aim to stimulate an Australian circular economy by committing to include 30% recycled materials in their plastic packaging by the end of 2025.

Last year, Gary Mortimer, a retail expert at Queensland University of Technology, projected that Coles and Woolworths would turn approximately $71 million in gross profit by switching out single-use plastic bags, charging for the thicker plastic reusable option.

You, the consumer, have immense power in all this. Action against climate change, towards a sustainable future, can be moved along with even the smallest of actions. Keep holding big organisations accountable. As Spiderman said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”•