AMCS – Additional information for plastic-free groceries

Far too often, shoppers have no option but to buy groceries wrapped in unnecessary and excessive disposable packaging that can end up polluting our ocean and harming marine wildlife. Even when plastic-free choices like loose produce are purchased, they often cost more or get delivered with unnecessary disposable plastic produce bags.¹ As the biggest supermarket retailers in Australia, your organisations have the resources and know-how to lead the packaging revolution and cut the wrap on your own brand products.

We, the undersigned, call on you to urgently act to reduce ocean plastic pollution by:

• Being transparent about plastic use. Publish clear, detailed and consistent annual reports on your overall use of disposable plastic packaging and progress towards reducing it.
• Giving customers control over packaging for online orders. Introduce clear opt-out for plastic produce bags and allow customers to select a ‘package-free’ preference by default.
• Phasing out unnecessary single-use packaging. Establish clear evidence-based targets to decrease disposable packaging and increase reusable packaging.
• Not charging more for loose produce. Expand the range of items available without disposable packaging, and ensure price parity between loose and pre-packaged fresh produce.
• Increasing reuse and refill. Develop a reuse strategy that is evidence-based and in line with best practices, and introduce reuse and refill in own-brand products, starting with online delivery.

The less plastic that gets produced, the less plastic ends up polluting our environment.² Of the roughly 3.2 million tonnes of plastic waste that Australia disposes of every year, 39% is packaging.³ Too much of this is unnecessary disposable packaging from your supermarkets. Packaging now accounts for the majority of plastic items found in clean-ups across Australia.⁴ By reducing your overall plastic use, you have the power to substantially reduce the amount of plastic entering Australia’s ocean.

Reducing plastic use also benefits the climate and can reduce food waste. Fossil fuels are used to make 99% of plastics, with emissions from Australia’s plastic use and management equivalent to around 5.7 million cars on the road each year.⁵ Packaging also restricts customers’ freedom to purchase exactly the amount needed, resulting in wasted food.⁶

It’s not enough to simply talk about sustainability. We urge you to make real commitments to save our ocean from plastic waste. You must protect Australia’s ocean, respond to customer expectations, and meet growing shareholder demand for leadership on plastics.

Action References:

1. Australian Marine Conservation Society and Boomerang Alliance. (2025). Unwrapped 2025 Audit Report; Plastic Use in Australian Supermarkets.
2. Cowger, W., et al. (2024). Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution. Science Advances, 10(17).
3. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2025). Australian plastics flows and fates reporting.
4. Clean Up Australia. (2024). Litter Report FY24.
5. Australian Marine Conservation Society and WWF-Australia. (2023). Climate impacts of plastic consumption in Australia.
6. WRAP UK. (2022). Reducing household food waste and plastic packaging.