Written by:
Future Group
30 July 2026
Plastic pollution has become one of Australia's most significant environmental challenges. Around 250 kilograms of plastic enters our environment every minute, with much of it eventually making its way into waterways and oceans. While public support for action continues to grow, progress has been slow.
Polling commissioned by the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) found that 96% of Australians support reducing single-use plastics and 76% support mandatory reductions in plastic packaging. Yet recent assessments show Australia's largest supermarket chains continue to fall short on transparency, plastic reduction and governance, with no meaningful reduction in disposable plastic packaging over recent years.
Plastics are also a climate issue. Most of it comes from fossil fuels, so more plastic production means more oil and gas demand, and more emissions from extraction through to disposal. For long-term investors, that's not background noise. It's a systemic risk to supply chains, markets, and returns over decades.
This is why Future Super joined ethical shareholder platform SIX, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and ocean clean-up organisation Seabin in a campaign encouraging Australia's major supermarkets to strengthen their approach to plastic packaging. The initiative calls for greater transparency, stronger plastic reduction targets and credible plans to transition towards reusable and refillable packaging systems.
The campaign is an example of stewardship in action. At Future Group, stewardship means using our influence as an investor to encourage the companies we own to better manage the environmental, social and governance risks that will shape their long-term success. It is a practical way of recognising that investors can help influence better corporate decision-making, particularly on systemic issues that affect the long-term resilience of markets.
Plastic pollution illustrates why this matters. These are the kinds of systemic challenges that long-term investors cannot ignore because they have the potential to affect markets and investment outcomes over decades.
Australia's $4.4 trillion superannuation system gives investors a collective stake in many of the country's largest businesses. At Future Group, we're working towards a future that’sworth retiring into for our members. Stewardship is one of the ways we seek to fulfil that responsibility.
Find out more about the Future Super campaign.
Plastic packaging made up almost 40% of the 3.2 million tonnes of plastic disposed of in 2023–24.
Around 250 kilograms of plastic enters Australia's environment every minute.
In Australia, less than 15% of plastic packaging is estimated to be recycled each year.
According to polling commissioned by AMCS, 96% of Australians support reducing single-use plastics, while 76% support mandatory reductions in plastic packaging by companies.
Australians are the world’s second highest consumer of single-use plastic per person.
