Price Attack Dubbo owner Kim Mooney says shoppers should 'buy less' to reduce waste

Kim Mooney, owner of Price Attack Dubbo, said her store is hoping to change locals' shopping habits by offering "more sustainable" ways to buy hair care products.

She said shoppers changing the way they buy is especially important given the recent debacle with REDcycle, which collapsed in November last year leaving behind a $5 million debt and a stockpile of thousands of tonnes of un-recycled soft plastics across the state.

"Many of us, in good faith, were taking our soft plastics back to our supermarkets," Ms Mooney said.

"Unbeknownst to the supermarkets, those collections ended up in landfill because of issues with the recycling company. So now we see the supermarkets are moving away from plastic bags completely."

Ms Mooney said while it's up to customers to make more sustainable choices in what they buy and how they dispose of their waste, retailers also have a role to play in stocking products which make those choices easier for the public.

"As a local business with the backing of a national group, we are meeting that call to arms by introducing lines, and seeking out hair care companies, that make it easy for customers to reduce their landfill input," she said.

Ms Mooney's call to action comes in line with Earth Day, an annual event on the 22nd of April to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The official theme for 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.

One way her store is helping customers make more sustainable choices is by selling AG Care shampoo and conditioner bottles which can be refilled using large plastic-free pouches. Each pouch has enough product to fill just over three shampoo bottles or four conditioner containers.

Consumer research shows Australians purchase and throw away around 179 million empty bottles of shampoo, conditioner and other bathroom products every single year. AG Care says, in one year alone, using refills rather than buying new bottles has the potential to prevent 400,000 bottles from ending up in landfill.

"In the 90s our salons provided 'AG Care-refillable stations' where customers could refill their bottles. It's not always convenient to go to a salon to refill your container, so we are bringing that at-home accessibility to consumers," Ms Mooney added.

"This is really for our most forward-thinking consumers ... who's fully engaged with environmental concerns, very well versed in ingredients, what they are and where they come from and the impact on the planet."

Price Attack National Product Manager Deborah Rowlingson said consumers have power when it comes to influencing companies to make their practices more sustainable.

She said data from global research companies shows today's consumers were more aware and conscious in their choices of brands, with regards to their impact on the environment and their sustainability practices, than ever before.

"While all natural ingredients remain the number one desired eco or ethical feature, consumers are increasingly concerned about animal cruelty, recycled and recyclable packaging and sustainably sourced ingredients," she said.

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