MEDIA RELEASE: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Most Australians want major supermarkets to take action to reduce their plastic use even though the federal government has put packaging reform on hold citing cost of living pressures.
New YouGov polling of 1,504 Australian voters reveals that a significant majority (62%) of Australians believe the two major supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, are not doing enough to address plastic pollution. Only 17% of those surveyed said Coles and Woolworths were adequately addressing plastic pollution, with 21% unsure. This sentiment is shared across the political spectrum, with majorities of Labor, Coalition, Greens, One Nation, and independent voters agreeing. Majorities across all age demographics indicated the supermarkets are not meeting expectations.
As part of the "Big business, stop fuelling plastic pollution" campaign, SIX, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), and Future Super are calling on Australia's major supermarkets to disclose their plastic use; something that Woolworths accomplished for the first time in August 2026 when it disclosed its plastic intensity score (the average mass of plastic packaging per item sold). Its closest competitor Coles has not yet matched this first step towards transparency. The campaign also urges supermarkets to set public reduction targets and report on progress each year. Major supermarkets control the packaging requirements of their own-brand products.
The polling found 72% of Australian voters believe at least half the packaging in major supermarkets is unnecessary, and a majority (52%) said they are likely to choose a product to avoid excess plastic packaging. Nearly four in 10 (38%) indicated they would be more inclined to shop at a major supermarket that set a plastic reduction target and reported its progress publicly. This figure rose to 45% among 18 to 24 year olds.
Shoppers see value and less plastic packaging as part of the same conversation. Eighty-seven per cent said being able to buy only the amount they need was important when buying items sold loose such as fruit and vegetables, including 55% deeming it very important. Yet shoppers are financially incentivised to purchase pre-packaged fruit and veg, with more than 70% of fresh produce items surveyed in the major supermarkets costing more when sold loose.
Catherine Lane, Coles shareholder and supermarket shopper said,
"In the face of inertia by the government, Coles has an outstanding opportunity to lead the nation in the reduction of plastic consumption. Clearly, it's an issue that shareholders like myself are passionate about, so I fail to understand why it isn't seen as a high priority necessitating urgent action."
Future Super Chief Impact Officer Emily Flood said,
"Coles and other major supermarkets can lead on this issue without delay. They directly control the packaging used on their own-brand products, so action here is not only an opportunity to manage significant financial and governance risks, but also to strengthen the value of their brands and respond to customer expectations. Strong environmental and customer outcomes can go hand in hand with strong long-term financial outcomes for shareholders. Investors are keen to see the figures."
AMCS' Program manager (Plastics & Packaging) Tara Jones said,
"Australians overwhelmingly want to see less plastic in their supermarkets and in the ocean, and this polling suggests they're willing to use their feet to show it. About 1.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging gets thrown away in Australia every year - that's about 38 kilograms every second. Every day that the biggest supermarkets in Australia fail to cut down on the volume of single-use plastic packaging on their products is a devastating blow to our marine wildlife and ecosystems. The environment continues to pay the price for inaction."
SIX's Campaigns Manager Phoebe Rountree said: "Customers have indicated that they not only value less plastic packaging, but that they are willing to change shopping patterns as a result. The onus is on Coles and Woolworths to get the ball rolling by publicly reporting the plastic they are producing and setting meaningful reduction targets. Failure to act will lead to ecosystems continuing to be drowned by plastic pollution, and could lead to reputational and financial risks."
Room for a supermarket to lead
SIX, AMCS, and Future Super urge Coles and Woolworths to confront their domestic plastic pollution issues. They are calling for supermarkets to disclose plastic use, establish public overall plastic reduction targets, and report annually on their progress - actions shoppers clearly want. Seven in 10 Australians support mandating major supermarkets to publicly report their annual plastic usage, with only 7% opposing this measure.
When asked to name an organisation leading on plastic responsibility, 92% of consumers could not name one. Among the 8% who could, no single organisation was mentioned by more than 1% of respondents. Supermarkets have an opportunity to take the lead in reducing unnecessary plastic.
Woolworths has recently taken a step towards greater transparency by publicly reporting the plastic intensity score for its own brand packaging for the first time in August 2026 after years of pressure from AMCS. While this disclosure avoids a member statement or resolution at Woolworths' 2026 AGM, Woolworths will still address shareholder questions at their AGM on 29 October.
Coles' Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for 6 November in Melbourne and online, where AMCS and SIX will raise questions about the member statement on plastic pollution, lodged as part of the campaign.
