Aussie Grocery Caught Greenwashing

Shop at Woolies, Coles, Aldi, or IGA? Well, if you've ever bought something from them that had natural, vegan, or sustainable on the label, you’ve probably been a victim of greenwashing.

A new study just analysed over 27,000 packaged food products across those exact supermarkets. Nearly 40% carried some kind of sustainability or natural claim. But researchers discovered most of those claims were self-declared by the manufacturer. No independent verification. No standard to meet. No legal definition of what those terms mean.

But wait, there’s more. A separate study found that some products actively boasting environmental benefits had significantly higher carbon emissions than their unlabelled equivalents, especially in meat and confectionery. The label designed to help you make a better choice is making you make a worse one.

This is textbook greenwashing, and it works because consumers are genuinely trying to do the right thing. About half of Australian consumers factor sustainability into food purchases. Manufacturers know that. So, they slap on an eco-friendly label, watch the sales go up, and answer to no one. The ACCC knows this is an issue. They’ve flagged greenwashing in F&B as a priority concern, but the regulation hasn't caught up with the marketing.

So, what can you actually do the next time you’re at the shops?

👉 First, look for independent, third-party certifications. Some big ones include: Australian Certified Organic, Rainforest Alliance, MSC for seafood, RSPO for palm oil. Be careful, though, as some shady marketing teams have simply created their own stamps of approval.

👉 Second, investigate big environmental claims. Sure, some are absolutely truthful. But they need to come with receipts to be credible.

👉 Third, read the label like it was written by a marketing team, because it probably was. A bag of oats is just that: a bag of oats. A “natural wholesome eco-friendly oat blend” is a marketing department wordsmithing.

The researchers also call for legislated definitions, mandatory verification, and a government-led front-of-pack rating system modelled on France's Eco-Score, which grades products A to E on verified environmental impact. Until that exists in Australia, most labels are just decoration.