Coles’ and Woolworths’ collectables campaigns are a reminder to stop the greenwashing
Odette Barry from Odette & Co questions why we continue to permit the likes of Coles and Woolies to commit lazy and brazen greenwashing when conscious consumerism is on the rise.
Coles and Woolworths are playing upon human weakness instead of strength with their brazen greenwashing through their respective Little Shop and Lion King collectables campaigns.
Instead of actually being sustainable, the supermarkets are concerning themselves with how they can appear to be more sustainable. What was all the fanfare surrounding banning the bag if it was only to be followed by a parade of tiny plastic figurines? These misguided campaigns are only feeding rising, plastic-choked oceans.
Coles’ Little Shop campaign is “brazen” greenwashing, explains Odette Barry
And, as communications professionals, we are gatekeepers of the message. When strategy is pushed up the food chain, we have every opportunity to question the impact of our work on the environment, people and our community.
We need to take action.
Because big corporations laugh in the face of greenwashing, launching plastic campaigns while donating to charities like Clean Up Australia. Money can’t buy back the waste they create and consumers are waking up to this.
In 2019, it’s no longer enough for a business to simply offset the harm it is doing by planting a tree. Consumers, and the planet itself, can see through the sheer veil of greenwashing. It’s time we all stepped up and demanded to work with brands that advocate for the climate through every decision across every facet of the business.
So here’s what we must do: embed ethical decision making into each step of business development, from product ideation through to marketing campaigns. How will this effect the planet? Is there a better way we can achieve our outcome? Have we balanced the priorities of people, planet and profit?
We don’t have to be perfect, it’s progress over perfection in this game. But we must all at least pause to reflect on how we can be and do better.
We can also create change as communicators in our own studios. It’s crucial to me that the companies I partner with behave in a way that has the welfare of the general public in their best interest.
Sometimes, the prospect of implementing meaningful change is daunting. It can be enough to send the bravest of us running for the hills. But often, the solutions you need are actually quite simple. It’s a matter of prioritising and building from the ground up, expanding from the inside out.
Incremental, honest change.
One strategy at a time.
Odette Barry is the founder and director of digital marketing and PR agency Odette & Co
Easy solution switch to IGA.
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I get it. It works as a mechanic. But I wish they’d give our seed packets or ‘pick a tin’ (saw in Sweden- spend over x and pick a tin to donate to those less fortunate)
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Yep, IGA gave up charging for bags because people only bought as much as they could carry. But there’s a greater hypocrisy in all of this. Supermarkets use massive amounts of plastic packaging but make no attempt to use alternatives. Paper bags instead of all those bags on a roll in the fruit and veg sections would be a start but they probably cost more. Charging for bags at the check out makes money, so there you have it.
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https://www.change.org/p/please-stop-coles-giving-out-plastic-junk?recruiter=483470702&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
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Correct, supermarkets do use lots of plastic in their packaging.
But guess what, so does everyone.
Who needs the shoe box?
Who needs the plastic bag from the fashion shop.
Who needs all the wrapping on an Apple product?
So yes, supermarkets can and should reduce their use of plastics/packaging, but so should everyone.
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https://www.futurelandfill.org/
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Go hug a tree.
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Go hug a tree.
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So what’s new? People now use more of the light bags for their vegetables and meat. Pre prepared sweet corn, beans, carrots etc still use up vast amounts of plastic. Do we really need to put bananas in a plastic bag? Why can’t we recycle polystyrene foam?
Let’s stop the Green Watermelons whinging and put the money into recycling not prohibition.
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Both stores provide a simple choice ‘are you collecting?’ with every transaction. If you are against the campaign your response is simply ‘no’. Move on
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Or just come up with a collectable promotion that doesn’t involve plastic. Pitched 2 concepts to Woolworths that are paper based collectables for massive sporting events they already sponsor over summer in Australia. No response …
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Bring back back yard incinerators no garbage in the ocean then!
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‘Consumers, and the planet itself, can see through the sheer veil of greenwashing.’ hmmmm….the success of Little Shop suggests otherwise.
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Unfortunately, the problems we walk past are the problems we permit. I think we have an opportunity to do better. I already choose to say ‘no thanks’ but one person’s action is not enough.
The frenzy of trading that is going on (as documented in many mainstream media outlets) is evidence of the wild fascination that has driven more sales for these supermarkets. We can encourage more footsteps using other techniques, beyond enticing sales with single-use plastics that will go on to poison our oceans and our future generations.
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That might stop me collecting the figurines but it is not the solution. The conversation is about communications professionals within organisations like Coles and Woollies having an opportunity to create change and limiting the detrimental impact on the environment.
We need to consider the environment as one of the stakeholders within our communications strategies.
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With 5G comming you can forget about trying to save anything. 5G will kill our environment big time. And people.
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The mechanic has a peculiar ability to transfix and transform otherwise sane people into crazed plastic hoarding fiends. Seed packets sounds like a beautiful alternative that I would love to see people bringing the same sort of heart-racing fascination to. Even collectibles made of environmentally friendly materials.
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But more co2 and dangerous chemicals in the atmosphere contributing to climate change. There is another way.
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https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/massive-warehouses-filled-with-recyclable-materials-that-no-one-wants-20190808-p52f2o.html
We have a recycling problem. Let’s focus on reducing single-use items!
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