Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Plastic Pollution - Local Supermarkets (THE ISSUE (How it affects citizens…
Plastic Pollution - Local Supermarkets
THE ISSUE
Why this needs to be addressed
Plastic is an ever-growing problem that seems to become worse with our increasing reliance on this material.
The lifespan of plastic is incredibly energy-intensive and dramatically affects the environment due to the extraction of materials, the manufacturing of plastic, transportation, the recycling of used plastic and the eventual waste.
Large companies like Coles and Coca Cola waste a lot of gratuitous plastic that greatly contribute to the loss of ecosystems and animal species.
How it affects citizens
The extraction of oil for plastics release toxic substances into the air that can pose certain health risks when inhaled
When plastic is continually exposed to heat or liquids, it breaks down into smaller particles called microplastics. Microplastics found in our air and food mean that microplastics are inhaled and ingested on a daily basis.
Plastic is littered in the ocean on a massive scale with nearly 700 aquatic species known to have been affected by plastic pollution. Most animal deaths are caused by entanglement and starvation, with animals confusing food for plastic. This usually affects their ability to eat and breathe.
In a study conducted by Greenpeace, the main category of littered rubbish in Australia has branding linked to Coles. This can signify that Coles needs to cut back on plastic sold, as citizens are essentially forced to buy plastic along with their weekly groceries and necessities.
Through research, I have concluded large corporations like Woolworths and Coles cause the majority of plastic pollution in Australia. Marketing schemes like Stikeez that give plastic toys for kids every $30 spent, drive consumers to buy more. This essentially fuels these business' revenue and cause more plastic to be manufactured and purchased.
THE APPROACH
In order to address this issue, I will contact Greenpeace, a lobby group that already works to address several aspects of plastic pollution. Greenpeace is a non-profit global organisation that campaigns for a sustainable future, working to crusade against several environmental issues.
I believe contact with interest groups/lobby groups is the most useful method to address my issue. This is because by working with an association as numerous and influential as Greenpeace, my actions will have a much bigger impact on matters like plastic pollution as opposed to advocating for change alone.
Greenpeace has already initiated a petition for grocers to reduce their plastic waste. I believe, working with Greenpeace will give me the support I need to make a change to stop unnecessary marketing schemes (e.g. Coles' Little Shop) that cause unneeded plastic waste as these are almost always either thrown out or littered.
THE OUTCOMES
Expected outcomes
An article
to bring attention to the excessive plastic collectables big companies use to manipulate families into buying more Coles products. The craze for these toys lasts for a short time before they are soon thrown away. Jayne Paramor, the deputy director of environmental waste campaigners Boomerang Alliance, said “[Coles] have again placed profits ahead of sustainability, using these so-called ‘collectables’ to bring consumers into their stores, with no regard for the environmental impact that this plastic tat will have as it heads for landfill”.
2.
A poll
of citizen's views on these marketing schemes. Coles' Little Shop has received a lot of criticism over plastic waste as these collectables have been found on several beaches and waterways. The only change then made was partially-recycled packaging, but that still doesn't change the amount of waste created in the first place. A poll will prove the opinion of consumers and whether the Little Shop does indeed encourage children to develop healthy habits or just boosts their competitiveness to 'Collect Them All'.
THE OBSTACLES
It may be difficult to catch the attention of the appropriate contact in a large organisation as large as Greenpeace. It could be awhile before progress is made and long-term benefits are achieved
The article may not change the opinion of Coles, and they continue to resist change, with money being on the forefront of their mind. These big companies may still continue to contravene their promise to sustainability.
While the article and poll will raise awareness about the reality of these gratuitous collectables, it is impossible to know whether enough people will see it and want to help the cause.