Green & ethical consumption Archives - Consumers' Federation of Australia

16 October , 2026

Open for Public Comment: Revised Home Composting Standard

Composting is the natural recycling of organic waste, while it’s a seemingly simple concept, the world of composting can be full of confusion. People often use the terms ‘biodegradable’ and ‘compostable’ interchangeably – although they’re not the same thing, find out more in Composting for Beginners. In Australia, products claiming to be home compostable must be…

14 October , 2026

World Standards Day 14 October 2026 – Affordable and clean energy (SDG7)

World Standards Day highlights how standards support UN Sustainable Development Goals , and this year the focus is on Goal 7 | Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. From energy safety and reliability to digital services and payments, standards help keep communities connected and support a more sustainable future. Behind…

8 April , 2026

Food Loss and Waste

In Australia alone, more than seven million tonnes of food is wasted each year—a third of all food produced. Through Food Systems Horizons, The University of Queensland and CSIRO are using science to help Australians understand the food system, their roles in it, and who they need to work with to develop a more sustainable,…

13 October , 2025

World Standards Day 14 October 2025

Shared vision for a better world: Spotlight on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 Partnerships for the goals World Standards Day is celebrated every year on the 14 October and offers the opportunity to increase understanding of the importance of standardization. Most of us are not aware of how standards work or why we need them.…

2 October , 2025

Misused and Confused – Report Highlights Need for Information and Transparency

The Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), with funding from Energy Consumers Australia, has recently released a report (Misused and Confused: Why information on large appliances falls short) on the practices around the sale of large appliances; specifically focusing on what Australian consumers are looking for (“reliable, affordable products with clear information on repair options, efficiency,…

1 October , 2025

Green Action Week 2025 – Sustainable Consumption

Green Action Week is a global campaign that promotes sustainable consumption through the power of community. Every October, groups around the world come together to share knowledge, resources, skills, and spaces – taking action to reduce waste, live more sustainably and build stronger, more resilient communities. The theme is a Sharing Community, a celebration of creative, practical…

30 April , 2025

Transition away from gas must benefit all consumers

Going all-electric is a huge benefit to consumers, particularly in terms of cost and emissions savings. It tends to better utilise the electricity network, so the fully electric household (with an electric car) puts downward pressure on electricity prices for its neighbours. But the transition to all-electric homes and businesses needs to be delivered in a way…

14 March , 2025

A Just Transition to Sustainable Lives: World Consumer Rights Day 2025

The past decade has been the warmest on record, and extreme weather has become routine in many nations, disrupting lives and livelihoods. At the same time, biodiversity loss and pollution are posing a growing threat to planetary and human health. It is increasingly clear that the impact of these crises is not just environmental, but economic and social too and is undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To remain within planetary boundaries, we will need…

19 December , 2024

New Microplastics Standard Open for Comment

Microplastics are filling up our oceans, turning up everywhere from Antarctic ice sheets to the depths of ocean trenches. Unfortunately it is very hard to quantify the amount of microplastics entering our oceans, as these tiny particles are hard to track, what we do know is that any amount of these plastics can be dangerous…

13 December , 2024

Just Transition to Sustainable Living to be the focus of the international consumer movement

The past decade has been the warmest on record, and extreme weather has become routine in many nations, disrupting lives and livelihoods. At the same time, biodiversity loss and pollution are posing a growing threat to planetary and human health. It is increasingly clear that the impact of these crises is not just environmental, but economic and social too and is undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To remain within planetary boundaries, we will need…

14 October , 2024

World Standards Day 14 October 2024

Shared vision for a better world: Spotlight on SDG 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure in the age of AI Standards are voluntary technical agreements that impact almost every part of our daily lives. They ensure that products and services work the way that we expect them to, making life safer and easier. There’s a role…

30 August , 2024

ASIC Continues to Focus on Greenwashing

ASIC has made 47 regulatory interventions to address greenwashing misconduct during the 15-month period up to 30 June 2024, including the commencement of two Federal Court proceedings and over $123,000 in infringement notice payments. The range of interventions, outlined in Report 791 ASIC’s interventions on greenwashing misconduct: 2023–2024 (REP 791), are aimed at stamping out misleading and…