"Please stop": 9-year-old's desperate letter to Coles
A nine-year-old has written an impassioned letter pleading with Coles to “stop making Stikeez”.
The letter, written by Julian, was posted on the Coles Facebook page by his mum on Wednesday.
“My nine-year-old asked me to send you the letter he wrote,” said Julian’s mother, Katie.
The letter starts off by requesting Coles to stop making Stikeez after the grocery chain launched its second round of the collectables on February 12.
“They just go to landfill and pollute the natural sweet air we breathe,” wrote Julian.
“Every day, six birds suffocate from plastic. Did you know that the first straw you ever used is still on this earth.
“We are the only planet to support life, do you want to change that. Every minute this planet dumps a ton of plastic, I am not kidding this planet is wonderful let’s keep it that way.”
Coles responded to Julian and his mum on Facebook, saying Stikeez have become increasingly popular amongst shoppers because it encourages children to eat more fruits and vegetables.
“Our research showed that 31 per cent of customers who collected the first Stikeez range increased their purchases of fruit and vegetables and 50 per cent bought a wider variety of fresh produce,” wrote a spokesperson.
The collection is only a small part of the campaign. Children can also pick up a placemat to track which food groups they’re consuming.
“Kids who had never touched broccoli or tasted a fresh tomato found it fun to challenge themselves to eat foods of all colours of the rainbow,” said the Coles spokesperson.
After Coles received backlash during their previous collections for giving out “plastic junk”, the supermarket has now taken a more sustainable approach.
“Customers can now return unwanted Stikeez back to Coles supermarkets to be recycled,” said a spokesperson on Facebook.
“They’re also wrapped in responsibly sourced paper that’s fully recyclable in kerbside recycling bins at home.”
Despite this, Coles promised to pass on Julian’s concerns with “the relevant teams so they’re aware.”