South Australia has now become the first place in the world to ban single use plastic soy containers (those little plastic fish!). This positive local action is in the light of the global plastics summit in Geneva in August where Australia, along with more than 175 countries, attempted to finalise a legally-binding global plastics treaty. With no consensus reached , plastic production and consumption is set to continue as before - with volumes estimated to triple globally by 2060. Powerful plastic-producing countries, including the US, blocked proposed caps on virgin plastic production and bans on harmful chemicals. The science is clear: recycling alone will not solve this problem. 

Our free search topic this month is ‘gambling’. The rise of online sports betting, especially through smartphones, has created new challenges. Australians gamble away more than $32 billion annually – the highest per capita amount in the world (equating to an average loss for each Australian of $1,555 per year) . Gambling addiction is a serious problem in Australia with over 71% of men aged 18-34 being at risk of gambling harm. 

In June 2023, Labor MP Peta Murphy presented a report to the Albanese government recommending a ban on gambling advertising. Research confirms that 75% of Australians support a total ban. The government however is yet to act. This month Senator David Pocock was thrown out of the Parliament Sports Club after suggesting that lobbyists were “buying access to parliamentarians” through $2500 club sponsorships. 

Gambling has a huge impact on our communities, as well as sports culture. Sign this petition to end gambling ads . If you’d like to have gambling blocked on your phone, try the free gambling site blocker apps BetBlocker and GamBan .

For the fourth year the Commonwealth Bank has taken out a Shonky Award. This year it is for refusing to refund $270 million in fees charged to low-income customers. In July, ASIC announced it had found many of the major banks had kept customers who were on Centrelink incomes in fee-charging accounts for years, when they were eligible for low-fee or no-fee accounts. Most of the banks called out issued bulk refunds to financially vulnerable customers. However Australia's biggest bank, the Commonwealth Bank, first refused to issue refunds at all. It then said it would only consider them for individuals on a case-by-case basis. Sign the petition to call on CommBank to refund the $270 million.

Another big winner (loser) this year was global e-retailer Temu, for being an unsafe haven for dodgy sales tactics and fast fashion. Find out more at 2025 Shonky Awards.