Here are five of the biggest plastics-related scandals or controversies in Australia — ranging from failed recycling schemes and greenwashing corporate conduct to broader systemic issues with plastic waste and export practices:
1) REDcycle collapse & soft plastics stockpile scandal (national)
Australia’s flagship soft plastic recycling program, REDcycle, collapsed in 2022 after years of operating nationally through supermarkets. Rather than recycling the plastics collected from consumers, it was revealed that thousands of tonnes of soft plastic were stockpiled in warehouses around NSW, SA and Victoria, posing environmental and fire risks. The company was declared insolvent, leaving the public with very limited ways to recycle soft plastics and undermining trust in recycling schemes. Wikipedia
➡︎ This has become emblematic of Australia’s broader struggles to actually process its plastic waste rather than simply collect it.
2) Clorox (GLAD) fined for misleading “ocean plastic” claims (national)
In April 2025, Clorox Australia was ordered by the Federal Court to pay A$8.25 million for misleading consumers about its GLAD garbage and kitchen bags being made with “50% recycled ocean plastic”. The products were instead made using plastic waste collected from inland Indonesian communities far from the ocean — a practice the consumer watchdog said constituted greenwashing and violated Australian Consumer Law. ACCC
➡︎ This case is one of the highest-profile corporate greenwash penalties in Australia’s environmental regulation history.
3) Plastic waste export issues — “recycling lie” and dumping abroad
Investigations (e.g., by 60 Minutes and major news outlets) have exposed that much Australian plastic waste sold as recyclable is actually exported to Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, where it can be dumped, buried, or burned rather than properly recycled. This has led to environmental harm in host countries and reputational damage to Australia’s recycling claims. 9News
➡︎ While this trend peaked after China’s 2018 waste import ban, it continues to shape debates about whether Australia’s recycling systems are mostly a myth and about ethical waste exports.
4) Retailers and plastic use audit failures (national)
Major Australian supermarkets (Woolworths, Coles, ALDI and Metcash) failed an independent audit into plastic use, scoring poorly on transparency and reduction efforts. This suggests big retailers are falling short on promised plastic reduction actions and continuing to rely heavily on single-use plastic packaging, contrary to public expectations and sustainability commitments. Australian Marine Conservation Society
➡︎ While not a single scandal event, this pattern of failure by major supermarkets has drawn public and environmental group ire.
5) Broader systemic failures of plastic recycling infrastructure (national)
Beyond individual programs, the Australian recycling system has been criticised as ineffective or misleading — with reports showing that a majority of plastic placed in recycling bins is not actually recycled domestically, and that recycling rates for soft and mixed plastics are extremely low. This has fuelled public perception of a “recycling lie” and exposed gaps between policy targets and real outcomes. Wikipedia
➡︎ This systemic failure isn’t a single headline scandal, but it underpins many controversies over how plastic recycling is marketed versus what actually happens.
Themes across these scandals
📌 Greenwashing & misleading claims — Consumers are regularly misled about recycled content or sustainability credentials. ACCC
📌 Recycling infrastructure gaps — Collection doesn’t equal processing; much plastic ends up landfilled or exported. Wikipedia
📌 Corporate and government accountability issues — Regulatory action has sometimes lagged behind industry practices.
📌 Ongoing public trust challenges — High-profile failures like REDcycle have dented confidence in voluntary schemes.