Green & ethical consumption

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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…

Read More ASIC Continues to Focus on Greenwashing

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The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation for ResiLoop to establish and operate a voluntary, industry-led product stewardship scheme (the Scheme) that collects and recycles resilient flooring waste. Resilient flooring is floorcoverings made from natural mineral fillers combined with materials such as vinyl, linoleum or rubber. Approximately 60,000 tonnes of resilient flooring waste is generated each year…

Read More ACCC Seeks Feedback on Proposed Flooring Recycling Scheme

When you're out and about... leave only your footprints. 5-11 AUG 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful Week Do the right thing, keep Australia clean. In collaboration with Landcare Australia, Landcare Week

The vision for the future is for every Australian to feel inspired and empowered to take action that helps to protect our environment for generations to come. Keep Australia Beautiful has championed the Do The Right Thing message for over fifty years find out more here. You can personally make a difference while “out and…

Read More Keep Australia Beautiful Week – 5-11 August 2024

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Building Ministers have agreed to add climate resilience as an objective of the Australian Building Codes Board. This responds to a recommendation from the 2020 National Natural Disaster Arrangements Royal Commission and paves the way for the Australian Building Codes Board to consider future standards which ensure buildings can better withstand more extreme weather.  This…

Read More Building Ministers Agree to ‘climate resilience objective’

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Events can be high profile and transient, with both positive and negative social, economic and environmental impacts. Sustainable event management includes consideration of these impacts, taking into account the needs of all stakeholders. The revised draft standard AS ISO 20121:2024 Events sustainability magement systems – Requirements with guidance for use can ensure you can have…

Read More Events – Can they be Sustainable?

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The ACCC is proposing to grant authorisation for the Tyre Product Stewardship scheme to continue for a further 3 years. The Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) implemented scheme aims to increase the number of tyres being recycled and the use of tyre derived products in environmentally appropriate ways in Australia and overseas. Since the ACCC first…

Read More Consultation Opens on Future of Tyre Stewardship Scheme

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Australian motorists will soon be able to choose from a wider range of cleaner, cheaper to run cars with the Parliament passing the legislation for the Albanese Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. This is good news for the hip pocket and for the environment. Car makers now have an incentive to send us their most…

Read More New Vehicle Efficiency Standard to Commence January 2025

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The 14 recommendations of a Senate Select Committee inquiry into supermarket prices included several aimed at increasing the transparency of retail grocery prices for consumers. These recommendations included (in Recommendation 9 ) that: The Australian Government amend the Unit Pricing Code made under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, so that supermarkets are required to:…

Read More Senate Supermarket Inquiry Recommends Grocery Price Transparency

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This year’s Ruby Hutchison Memorial lecture shone a light on just how much the consumer protection movement together with regulators has achieved in the last 50 years, and the complex consumer issues we’re still seeking answers to today. Bringing in a musical theme and recognising the rockstar influence of the speakers, the ACCC Deputy Chair…

Read More The 2024 Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture – 50 Years of Consumer Advocacy

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The Federal Court has found Vanguard Investments Australia contravened the law by making misleading claims about certain environmental, social and governance (ESG) exclusionary screens applied to investments in a Vanguard index fund. At a hearing before Justice O’Bryan on 8 March 2024, Vanguard admitted to engaging in conduct that was liable to mislead the public…

Read More ASIC Wins Greenwashing Case Against Vanguard

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Original media release from the ACCC (7/03/2024). Consumer and competition issues in the supermarket sector and essential services including electricity and financial services are among the ACCC’s compliance and enforcement priorities for the year ahead, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb announced today. “Our priorities continue to be shaped by the key challenges facing our economy and the…

Read More ACCC Announces 2024-25 Enforcement Priorities

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55% of Australians incorrectly dispose of batteries. Australian B-cycle  “Never bin your batteries” aims to help consumers understand the risks of throwing batteries away in regular bins. It emphasises the need to never put used batteries in general waste or recycling bins, to instead tape the terminals with clear sticky tape and take them to…

Read More Safe Battery Disposal