Coles, Woolworths, Aldi busted discounting controversial produce: 'Really disappointing'
Supermarkets claim to be slashing their use of plastic, but they are continuing to drive customers to it by discounting produce wrapped in it.
Plastic is a handy substance to package food, but it’s increasingly contaminating our oceans, forests, food, fish, human blood, breastmilk, brains and even reproductive organs. So Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA’s ongoing discounting of fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic has been called out by the authors of a new report revealing its overuse in supermarkets.
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) released the findings of its Unwrapped 2024 audit on Thursday, revealing the plastic-wrapped version of produce is cheaper than loose items 73 per cent of the time. Shopper data found potatoes were frequently discounted by over 50 per cent when sold in soft plastic – a substance that can’t be recycled across most of Australia.
AMCS plastics campaigner Cip Hamilton explained that once plastic enters the environment it never really goes away meaning the bag the supermarket sells today, could still be around for our great, great, grandchildren to clean up. That’s because it continues to break up into smaller pieces which are more easily absorbed into soil, water, plants and animals.
“It's really disappointing in the cost of living crisis, in an environmental crisis, that we're being charged more to avoid plastic packaging,” she told Yahoo News.
“The best way to end pollution is to cut it at the source, so it’s the supermarket’s responsibility to be providing options without plastic packaging,” she added.
Which supermarket ranked highest?
Sourcing information on supermarket plastic usage remains a challenge for the AMCS auditors. All supermarkets have advertised impressive goals to reduce plastic by 2025, in line with targets set by the packaging industry, but all but one have been reluctant to release specific data about how much plastic they generate.
Aldi dropped to last place in the rankings this year because it was unable to provide enough data to AMCS. However, the report did note the retailer had better price equity between loose and packaged produce.
The supermarkets were graded across five topics: Transparency, plastic reduction, reuse, recycling, along with policy, planning and governance. Woolworths was commended as the best performer, particularly when it came to the last category where it achieved 76 per cent. It also achieved a 53 per cent score for transparency, while the other three failed to provide sufficient data.
Woolworths’ overall score was 38 per cent, followed by Metcash (IGA) with 23 per cent, and Coles at 20 per cent. Aldi was unable to be rated due to its reported lack of transparency.
Why Woolworths isn't ready to ditch plastic-wrapped veggies
Following the release of the report Woolworths highlighted its efforts to remove over 1.6 million kilograms of virgin plastic from its own brand range over the past six years, and it committed to continuing to publish packaging data.
“We know there is still more to do, and we will continue to publish our packaging data to hold ourselves accountable for our progress, while encouraging our suppliers to do the same,” it said.
But selling fresh produce in bags looks set to continue because it can extend the life of some items. And Woolworths told Yahoo the discount on these items reflects that pre-bagged items are being sold in bulk.
Decades ago, markets and independent grocery stores introduced scales into their stores, so customers could weigh loose produce. Today this enables them to bring their own reusable bags and obtain a discount if they buy them in bulk lots of over 1kg.
But Woolworths has indicated it is unable to do the same because of its business model as a major retailer. It chooses to price pre-packed products using a complex method that incorporates the cost of production, packaging, and efficiencies.
Coles argues plastic-wrapped food enables 'choice'
Similarly, Coles highlighted its efforts to reduce plastics, including the trial of a bag made primarily out of paper that it advertises as being recyclable.
It indicated the option of buying fresh produce is all about offering more variety, saying “In addition to providing our customers with great value, we also aim to offer them choice. Across our stores, our customers can choose from a wide selection of loose and pre-packaged fruit and vegetables.”
While most plastic-packed produce is cheaper, it noted “Currently loose cup mushrooms and truss tomatoes are cheaper than their pre-packaged equivalent nationally.”
Aldi did not directly answer questions from Yahoo, and instead sent a short statement, saying it “understands” the “important role” it plays in introducing more sustainable packaging. “84.1% of ALDI’s exclusive brand packaging is now recyclable, reusable or compostable,” it said.
Metcash (IGA) did not respond before publication.
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