Australians Have a Problem, but Are Australians the Problem?

An Interview with Charlie the Chocolate Wrapper

Australians generate more single-use plastic waste per person than any other country in the world—about 60 kg per year, according to a recent report from the Minderoo Foundation. Plastic is so cheap and convenient that we struggle to keep it out of our lives—or our oceans. Unidentified soft plastic was one of the top categories found in Seabin catches in Sydney Harbour in 2024. Due to its lightweight nature, it easily floats over long distances in air and water. 

To better understand the journey of a piece of plastic, we sat down for an interview with Charlie the chocolate wrapper. We discussed where he came from, where he was going, and how he ended up in the ocean. 

How Charlie Ended Up in the Ocean

It was a sparkling Saturday morning when Seabin collection scientists plucked Charlie from a Seabin in Darling Harbour. Soaked and spluttering, the research team brought him into the warmth of the Ocean Health Lab and towelled him dry.

“Where have you been?” one researcher asked once he had calmed down.

“Well,” began Charlie, “I came from a family of Cadbury chocolates. I was bought from a supermarket alongside my friends and family: zip-lock bags, balloons, cling wrap—I can’t remember all their names. Anyway, one minute we’re at a picnic, the next, we’re all in the sea.”

Charlie’s experience is not uncommon: over 80% of plastic entering the ocean each year comes from land-based sources; the other 20% comes from marine sources such as fishing equipment and abandoned vessels.

“And I’m one of the lucky ones!” said Charlie. “I was floating on the surface for days before you guys picked me up.”

Charlie is among the 1% of marine plastics found floating at or near the surface, while the vast majority sinks to the seafloor. According to Eunomia Research and Consulting, there is now 70 kg of plastic for every square kilometre of seabed.

“We were wasting away out there. I was getting thinner, chunks were falling off me. So many of my friends were mistaken for food by turtles and fish. One guy I know got swallowed whole by a whale!”

As plastics degrade, they can release additives such as flame retardants (e.g., PBDEs) and plasticisers, while also adsorbing and concentrating environmental pollutants like PCBs and DDT. These chemicals can later enter the food chain through a process called bioaccumulation, affecting marine life and, ultimately, humans. Read more about chemicals HERE.

Marine animals often mistake plastic for food, leading to starvation as plastic does not break down in their stomachs. The CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, estimates that by 2050, 95% of all seabirds will have plastics in their gut.

Charlie’s Early Life

The Seabin environmental technicians listened in silence, having never met a talking chocolate wrapper before. Charlie knew he had more to explain.

“Let me start from the beginning… before I was born.” Charlie looked down at his sea-frayed body and sighed. “They tell me I’m made of oil and gas, like most soft plastics around the world. I don’t remember my days as virgin plastic,” he said quietly, “although I prefer the word polymer.”

Polymers are the building blocks of plastic, made from molecules derived from oil, gas, coal, and other bio-based sources. Remarkably, the single-use plastic crisis can be linked to a relatively small number of polymer-producing companies. Twenty polymer producers account for an estimated 55% of single-use plastic waste globally.

More remarkably, consider the top two integrated oil and gas companies: US-based ExxonMobil and China-owned Sinopec, along with the world’s largest chemicals company, US-based Dow. Between them, they are the ultimate source of around one in six kilograms of plastic waste.

“Then I was welcomed into the world,” Charlie continued, “inside a big factory. I was all shiny and colourful—I felt like I could live for 450 years, or more!”

Charlie is referring to estimates from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the lifespan of plastic. Plastic doesn’t decompose easily because bacteria cannot break down the chemicals used.

“I’m from the Cadbury factory,” Charlie bragged, raising his chin, “and I have LOTS of friends from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé, to name a few.”

A 2024 CSIRO paper found that of all branded plastic found in the environment, these three companies were responsible for 19% of it. The study also found a direct correlation between plastic production and plastic waste, reinforcing the idea that the problem must be addressed at the source.

Where Was Charlie Going?

One researcher handed Charlie a tiny cup of steaming coffee and asked cautiously, “Tell us about what happened to your friends… after the picnic.”

“Well,” said Charlie indignantly, “I got swept onto the street, down the drains, and into the Pacific. The ones that made it into the bin were the lucky ones.” He took a slow sip from his mug. “I’ll be straight with you. I’ve heard the figures. Soft plastics like us are the hardest plastics to sort and recycle. That’s why global recycling rates for my kind have been stuck at 10-15% for the last thirty years.”

Estimates by the Pew Trust suggest that roughly 35% of Charlie’s single-use friends worldwide were incinerated, 31% were buried in landfills, and 19% were dumped directly into the environment. In Australia, however, 87% of soft plastics end up in landfill, according to the National Waste Report 2022 (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water).

“I just wanted to have another life, you see. I just wanted to give back again and again, but—” Charlie choked on his words, “all I will ever be is a lousy chocolate wrapper. ONE TIME.”

According to Dr Tillmann Boehme, a circular economist at the University of Wollongong Business School, even if governments successfully collected and processed all soft plastics, it would realistically only divert 10% of total plastics from landfill. To put this in perspective, REDcycle, which partnered with supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles, collected less than 1% of the soft plastic used by Australians each year, despite sizeable funding.

This means that Charlie’s lucky friends who made it into the bin will still end up in landfill. After parting ways with Charlie, they would have been collected by waste management services. In Sydney, that’s handled by companies like URM, Veolia, and ORG.

Who Pays for Charlie?

Plastic is embedded in our lives and economy—and it costs us. The Minderoo Foundation estimates that the social cost of plastic-related pollution (primarily human health impacts) amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars annually. This figure is close to the global plastics industry’s value, estimated at US$600 billion per year.

Consider the banks and private investors funding polymer producers, single-use plastic manufacturers, and vendors like supermarkets. These companies receive financial backing to expand their production, and with it, plastic waste.

Global production of virgin polymers for single-use plastics is set to increase by over 30% in the next three years.

Governments at all levels are attempting to address this growing issue. Australia’s national waste policy aims for an 80% reduction in materials sent to landfill by 2030, but experts believe this target is unlikely without stronger levies, subsidies, grants, mandates, or bans.

“So, who do you blame for this mess you’re in, Charlie?” someone asked.

Charlie thought for a moment. “Well, some might blame the kid who ate the chocolate. I certainly wouldn’t blame her.”

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