Targeted Call Plastic Pollution

Tell the big supermarkets to unwrap our food!


Australia’s supermarkets continue to wrap our food in unnecessary plastic and charge us more for plastic-free alternatives.

Our new independent report discovered that Australia’s big supermarkets are usually charging us more for loose fruit and vegetables compared to the same produce wrapped up in plastic. On average, loose potatoes cost 1.5 times as much as potatoes in plastic!¹

– Cip Hamilton,
AMCS Ocean Plastic Pollution Campaign Manager

 

Supermarkets should not be charging us more to avoid plastic that pollutes our oceans.

Plastic pollution is found in more than 60% of seabird species, and over half the world’s turtles have eaten marine debris including plastics.

Food packaging accounts for the majority of plastics found in beach clean-ups across Australia.

Supermarkets in Australia have the power to cut the amount of plastic ending up in our homes and oceans. But our independent report found all of the big supermarkets are failing at reducing their plastic usage.

They won’t change without pressure from people like you telling them it’s time to step up.

Use our easy tool to call your local supermarket today, asking them to tell their executives it’s not enough to simply talk about sustainability – they need to make real commitments to save our oceans from plastic waste.

After pressing ‘Start A Call’ you’ll receive an automated call from us, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, with a short pre-recorded message running through of the details you need. A guide will also appear that steps you through the whole process, including a script you can use. Making a call only takes a few minutes, and is a highly impactful way of reducing ocean plastic pollution coming out of Australia’s big supermarkets.

 

Step-by-step guide for contacting Woolworths, Metcash and Coles
  1. Fill out the form above. Select the supermarket you want to contact and press ‘Call now’. The offices will usually only receive calls during standard supermarket opening hours, including most evenings. Outside of these hours, you might be able to leave a message.
  2. Pick up our automated call and have a listen. After you submit the form, the phone number you entered will receive a call. Don’t worry, it’s just our automated voicemail giving you a ring with some more details.
  3. Continue the call with the supermarket. Once our automated voicemail is finished, you’ll be patched through to the head office of the supermarket you selected.
  4. Be a voice for the ocean! You’ll be speaking with a member of staff or you’ll be asked to leave a message. Briefly introduce yourself and say you are calling because you would like to see the supermarket commit to reducing plastic use, removing higher costs for loose produce and prioritising reusable options. If you’d like to, you can follow the script below:

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I live in [SUBURB]. I’m calling because I would like to talk about [SUPERMARKET’s] plastic waste.

I am disappointed that [SUPERMARKET] is wrapping our food and groceries in unnecessary plastic packaging that ends up polluting the ocean. A recent audit also found that [SUPERMARKET] is charging people more to avoid plastic packaging, with fruit and vegetables usually costing more to buy loose than when they are wrapped in plastic.

In particular, I’d like to recommend that [SUPERMARKET] makes these changes [PICK ONE OR MORE TO MENTION]:
 – Eliminate unnecessary plastic in fresh produce and prove that any packaging reduces food waste.
 – Stop charging more for loose produce to make plastic-free options accessible for all customers.
 – Prioritise reusable and refillable options, especially for home delivery.
 – Phase out individually wrapped items in plastic, offering more sustainable alternatives.

[SUPERMARKET] has the power to cut the amount of plastic ending up in Australia’s homes and oceans. Please step up to make a meaningful impact in reducing plastic waste.

Please pass my concerns on to the appropriate team. Thank you for your time.

 

Step-by-step guide for contacting Aldi
  1. Contact Aldi – Click the link to be taken to Aldi’s online feedback form. ALDI Australia does not have any way for customers to contact them by phone, so let’s not let them off the hook!
  2. Scroll down then click ‘Next’.
  3. Select ‘Policy feedback/Enquiry’ then click ‘Next’.
  4. Enter your details in the form.
  5. Copy and paste the message below or write your own. Enter a message to ALDI in the field labelled ‘Please provide any information that will assist us with your enquiry’. Once you’re done, click ‘Next’. Click ‘Next’ on the following page as well (you don’t need to upload anything). Then click ‘Finish’.

I am disappointed ALDI is wrapping our food and groceries in unnecessary plastic packaging. I urge ALDI to publish its annual sustainability report and improve its transparency in 2025. ALDI needs to step up and use its power to cut the amount of plastic ending up in Australia’s homes and oceans.

 

More tips
  • A staff member will probably be polite and keep a record of the content of your call.
  • It won’t be a long phone call, so keep your message simple and clear.
  • It’s okay if they don’t have a substantive response to your issue. As long as they note it down and thank you for the call, your feedback will put positive pressure in the right places.
  • With lots of people calling at once, if you can’t get through to one supermarket, try another!
  • If you can’t make a call, you can also submit feedback online by using the Woolworths chat bot, Coles general feedback form, and Metcash general feedback form. If you’d like to send feedback to Aldi, use the dedicated guide above since they don’t accept any feedback over the phone.

 

Who can make a call?

Anyone! This consultation is open to the public anywhere around Australia. If you’re reading this, we strongly encourage you to give it a go.

References
  1. The Australian Marine Conservation Society & The Boomerang Alliance. (2024). Unwrapped 2024 Audit Report; Plastic Use in Australian Supermarkets.Â