Coles addresses fury to ‘hypocritical’ photo

The supermarket giant has responded after eagle-eyed shoppers spotted a contradictory display and called out the supermarket.

As Australians aim to reduce their plastic consumption, eagle-eyed shoppers have called out Coles for a seemingly contradictory in-store display.

With our country collectively consuming a staggering 3.79 million tonnes of the pollutive material each year – and supermarkets being responsible for the majority of household packaging – it’s no wonder that consumers are scrutinising retailers that promote sustainable practices while their actions sometimes paint a different story.

An image posted on Reddit recently shows a sign promoting the use of reusable produce bags to reduce plastic, yet the cherry tomatoes in front of the sign are packaged in plastic containers.

“Reducing plastic,” the messaging reads, before asking shoppers, “Do you really need a bag?

“Give them a try. They’re washable, durable and reduce soft plastic in circulation.”

It is understood that the signage was accidentally placed in the wrong location and was a human error that will be updated.

A Coles spokesperson told news.com.au, “We understand our customers want us to reduce unnecessary packaging and to make it easier for them to recycle. We also know that packaging plays an important role in protecting products and reducing food waste.

“We continue to make improvements to our packaging in order to reduce unnecessary plastic. “For example, we have recently implemented changes in our fresh produce department including recyclable bags for grapes as well as trialled mandarins in a recyclable paper bag rather than a plastic net bag and blueberries in a cardboard punnet that could be recycled kerbside.”

A photo of a tomato display in a Coles store has angered shoppers. Picture: Reddit

The reusable produce bags

The post follows Coles discontinuing the sale of soft plastic shopping bags both in-store and online in 2023, eliminating roughly 230 million plastic bags from circulation within a single year.

The grocery giant now offers 100 per cent recycled paper bags that can be recycled on-site, along with a variety of reusable tote, chiller and mesh produce bags.

The signage in this photo seems to encourage shoppers to use the reusable mesh produce bags, which the retailer offers in a three-pack for $1.50.

These bags are made with at least 90 per cent recycled materials and have been specifically designed for Coles’ scales.

“To encourage more of our customers to purchase loose fruit and vegetables and reduce the use of single-use plastic produce bags, we offer reusable fresh produce bags available for customers to complete their shop,” the spokesperson explained.

Coles had a display promoting plastic reduction behind punnets of cherry tomatoes in plastic. Picture: Supplied

Shoppers respond

Shoppers were fuming about the image, with many suggesting ways supermarkets could align their sustainable ethos with their in-store practices and packaging.

“It would be cool if they did loose cherry tomatoes per kilo the same way they do gourmet/truss,” said one. “Gimme a little brown mushroom bag and a small scoop! I never need 250 grams anyway.”

“Some other supermarkets do that. My local Foodland always has loose ones for sale, and their price per kilogram is almost always cheaper,” replied another.

“Woolworths near me does it with tomatoes,” a third responded.

However, some people pointed out that loose produce might not be the best alternative.

“I worked in a fresh fruit and veg store. You do NOT want this. Cherry tomatoes have an incredibly low shelf life, they just randomly burst into mould and attract fruit flies,” one person explained. “My job at the start of every shift was to inspect every punnet and get rid of all the mouldy ones, and every day I’d at least pull five from the 96 or so punnets there, usually more.

“Now imagine a giant open box of them, no plastic at all, sold by the kilo. Not only would it be unreasonable to ask someone to inspect every single cherry tomato, but mould would spread way faster and there’d be even more wasted product.”

‘I’ll never understand’

Meanwhile, people suggested alternative methods of storing fresh produce.

“Paper bag and some scales would be a good alternative,” said one Redditor. “My partner and I have started shopping at bulk food stores when we can. We take our containers in, have them weighed, and fill them with how much we need.”

“I’ll never understand why these (tomatoes) couldn’t be replaced by a cardboard box with a thin plastic film on the lid,” another suggested.

“If we’re all super invested in doing something, we could just grow them at home,” proposed a third.

Meanwhile, others noted that it wasn’t just tomatoes whose packaging concerned them.

“I wish I could buy strawberries (loose) as well, half the pre-packaged punnets end up being the squishy, crappy ones anyway I’d much rather pay a little more per kg to buy just the amount I’m actually gonna eat,” said a user.

Shoppers said they wish they could buy more loose fresh produce. Picture: Getty

Report paints grim picture of supermarket plastic use

It comes after a November report from the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) painted a grim picture of major supermarkets in Australia and their use of plastic.

The Unwrapped 2024 report audited Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and Metcash (IGA) on their packaging practices and the results highlighted a significant gap between the supermarkets’ commitments to sustainability and their actions.

It was revealed that the four major brands are actually encouraging customers to choose plastic-wrapped produce by offering discounts on such products.

This concerning find means that shoppers are often penalised for trying to purchase fresh produce without packaging, as loose items are more expensive than their plastic-wrapped counterparts in 73 per cent of cases.

The report suggests that fresh produce should be sold loose unless retailers prove the packaging reduces food waste.