Killjoy Greenies claim Coles Little Shops toys are 'dangerous' to kids because they are made of plastic - and want parents to boycott them
- Anti-plastic campaigners are calling for customers to boycott Coles
- The supermarket said early this month it diverted 1.7 billion plastic bags
- The pair accused Coles of teaching children conflicting ideas about plastics
- Coles argued 94 per cent of their customers hold onto or share their collectables
- The Little Shop 2 range will be launched on Wednesday with 30 new items
Campaigners are calling for a boycott of Coles Little Shop toys because they are made of plastic.
The supermarket giant is bringing back the Little Shop collectables from Wednesday after the toys proved hugely popular last year.
But two prominent anti-plastic eco-warriors are campaigning to stop the fun scheme where customers get a toy for every $30 spent.
Paul Hellier (left) and Jamie Lepre (right) are anti-plastic campaigners that have called for Australian's to boycott the Coles Little Shop collectables that will be released on Wednesday
Paul Hellier and Jamie Lepre, who have just made a documentary about plastic waste, released a statement on Tuesday criticising Coles.
'The hypocrisy of Coles is outrageous,' Mr Hellier said.
'It started off Plastic Free July by boasting it had diverted 1.7 billion single-use plastic bags from landfill over the past 12 months, with its data claiming seven in 10 of its consumers now remember to bring a reusable bag when they shop.'
After months of speculation Coles have confirmed that its Little Shop will return on Wednesday, with 30 new miniature collectibles up for grabs (pictured)
Mr Hellier said the supermarket giant was teaching kids 'dangerous lessons on collecting pointless plastic c**p and consumerism' and labelled it 'Coles' Little Shop of Horrors'.
The film maker also pointed towards items from the Little Shop collection washing up on shores as far as Bali in November last year.
Share this article
Mr Hellier said consumers needed to push back against the 'ridiculous promotion' and share their dissatisfaction online.
'This madness will only stop if we send Coles and the associated brands a message that will hurt them most – at the cash register. That's why we are calling for a boycott to all the items involved in the promotion.'
The pair are launching a documentary on plastic waste called Peloton Against Plastic, were they cycled through some of the world's most polluted countries to break down the environmental impact, which set to be released in late July.
Coles fought back against the claims that the Little Shop collectables were quickly discarded by customers.
'Rather than throwing them out, our customer research shows that of the customers who collected minis last year, 94 per cent have either kept them or given them to family or friends who were collecting,' a spokesperson from Coles said.
Coles argued the Little Shop collectables had been immensely popular with 94 per cent of customers choosing to hold onto them or share them with friends
'The campaign only runs for a limited time and customers who choose to collect them are able to recycle the wrappers at their nearest Coles through our in-store RedCycle program.
The supermarket giant added customers having their items delivered could take part in recycling by handing the packaging to the driver.
'As part of our commitment to better environmental outcomes, RedCycle allows customers to recycle soft plastics in provided bins at their nearest Coles store to be repurposed into outdoor furniture for pre-schools and primary schools,' the spokesperson said.
The Coles' Little Shop collection first launched in July last year and was a huge success featuring small versions of common house hold purchases.
Little Shop 2, available from July 17, will add 30 new miniature supermarket items to the existing line up
Obsessive collecting from fans saw rare examples or complete sets sold online for as much as $1,000 on Gumtree.
Shoppers received one collectible for every $30 spent in store which they then picked from blind bags at the checkout.
Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson said last week the supermarket is delighted to be bring back the loved collectible campaign.
'The first campaign was embraced by customers of all ages and brought to life the traditional hobby of collecting enjoyed by all generations,' Ms Ronson said.
Ms Ronson said Coles was 'inundated' with requests to bring Little Shop back.
'We have worked with our suppliers to make this year's campaign even bigger and better than ever before and we think customers will be excited to find out about additional surprises we have in store for them,' she said.
Coles are also introducing additional products to help customers bring Little Shop 2 to life, including a brand new Coles replica truck and a toy cash register.
Merchandise like mini trolleys, baskets, shopfronts, aprons and shopping bags sold out within days of last year's launch.
The Coles' Little Shop collection first launched in July last year and was a huge success featuring small versions of common house hold purchases
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
