Discussing Australia’s $36 billion food waste issue

Over the weekend, End Food Waste Australia Program Leader and RMIT University Professor Simon Lockrey joined Matt Preston on ABC’s Every Bite podcast to discuss Australia’s growing food waste challenge and Nestlé’s latest food waste awareness campaign.

Broadcast on ABC National Radio and ABC podcast channels, Every Bite explores the stories, science and traditions behind what we eat.

In this episode, the conversation focused on Australia’s food waste problem, highlighting that the country wastes approximately 7.6 million tonnes of food each year, at a cost of more than $36 billion.

Professor Simon Lockrey, an award-winning researcher specialising in sustainable systems, food waste and packaging design, discussed Nestlé’s Sniff, Look, Taste campaign, which encourages Australians to check food before throwing it away. Date label confusion remains a major driver of household food waste, with Lockrey noting that an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of Australian households do not understand the difference between “best before” and “use by” dates.

Speaking on the podcast, he explained how the Sniff, Look, Taste campaign aims to improve consumer understanding of food date labels and empower Australians to make more informed decisions about food safety and waste.

You can listen to the episode here.

Nestlé is an IMPACT client.

The new gatekeepers of political attention

New research from Griffith University and Sentiment Agency has highlighted the growing role influencers play in shaping political conversations online.

The Democracy in our Feeds Report, which was released on 20^th August, found research suggesting that Australian influencers are now driving audience attention to political issues.

Based on the Australian 2026 Federal Election, the research found that online creators generated significantly more political content and engagement than traditional news outlets.

It analysed 564 pieces of content, from 8 creators, including Abbie Chatfield and YouTuber @Friendlyjordies (Jordan Shanks-Markovina), comparing it against content from 8 traditional news outlets, and 8 entertainment media brands.

Some standout findings from the report showed that influencers published more than double the posts than both news outlets and entertainment brands combined.

Additionally, the report saw that audiences engaged most strongly with emotionally driven content, with humour and anger outperforming more serious or informational posts.

However, while creators can spark engagement and bring political issues to new audiences, the report notes their growing influence also raises questions around accountability, misinformation and content standards.

Neutrogena’s latest apology

Following the passing of Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, Neutrogena has faced criticism before issuing a public apology.

The two had a longstanding partnership until 2015, when Neutrogena ended Panettiere’s contract. Earlier this year, the actress claimed the decision came after she publicly discussed her struggles with postpartum depression.

After several days of silence following her passing, the skincare brand issued an apology on Instagram, acknowledging it had made Panettiere feel unsupported.

In the statement, Neutrogena pledged funding to organisations supporting women’s health, including postpartum depression, also including that its silence was intended to respect Panettiere’s family after her passing.

The incident has reignited debate around accountability, with audiences expecting brands to acknowledge past mistakes directly and transparently.

ARIA drops the mic on AI-generated music

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is drawing a line on generative AI.

As of the charts releasing this Friday, ARIA is officially banning fully AI-generated songs, while still allowing artists to use the technology as a creative tool.

This decision comes after a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer by DJ Josh Fawaz reached number four on two ARIA charts and became Australia’s most-played song on radio.

While Fawaz initially said the software was used as a supporting tool, it was later revealed that both the vocals and drums had been generated using AI.

The new regulations state that AI can be used in the creative process, provided a track is still considered “substantially human-made”.

The move reflects growing efforts across the music industry to balance innovation with authenticity as AI-generated content becomes increasingly sophisticated. ARIA said the changes are designed to protect the integrity of its charts while still allowing artists to experiment with emerging technologies.