Woolworths Bricks – Solar Panels Included

It’s been said we can’t consume our way to sustainability, but Woolworths is giving it a red-hot go with its new “most sustainably focused collectible”.

On the weekend, Woolworths announced Woolworths Bricks, which will be available soon.

For each 30 bucks you spend on shopping, you’ll get a Bricks pack with some of the components for whacking together a mini-Woolworths Supermarket store. With 40 Bricks packs to collect, you’ll need to spend at least $1,200 (assuming you don’t get any double ups) plus another $6 if you want a basic starter kit that includes a baseboard and front doors, or $10 for a deluxe kit. What makes it deluxe isn’t clear.

The mini-Woolies features components such as solar panels, checkout registers, electric car charging stations, trolleys and more.

Solar panels? Well, that’s all good then.

“Woolworths Bricks is a fun and interactive way of learning at home that can spark conversations within families about sustainability; whether that’s how materials like plastic or refrigerators can be given a second life, or how solar panels and electric car chargers are making a positive impact on the environment at their local Woolies,” said Woolworths Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Hicks.

I wonder how many families will actually have these conversations. About giving materials a second life – that’s a reference to the Bricks being made from 80% recycled materials; including swimming goggles and luggage handles of all things. That’s great, but it still leaves 20% of material that may be derived from petrochemicals. And what about the packaging? Hopefully that is at least recyclable.

I’m not trying to be nit-picky here, but this isn’t exactly an essential item; but then again neither is a lot of the stuff we actually fork out money for.

On the plus side, the company has noted Woolworths Bricks are compatible with other brands – so I’m assuming that means compatible with Lego.

Contributing To A “Circular Economy”?

So, what happens when the kids (or adults) have had enough of playing with them and the bricks just become a painful surprise for bare feet?

Woolworths says it has that covered too.

Through a renewed partnership with TerraCycle, the bricks can be dropped off at any Woolies store and Terracycle will turn them into something else.

“Our first of its kind recycling program can use materials like pre-loved Woolworths Bricks to make new products for the community such as park benches and garden beds, supporting our mission to move from a linear economy to a circular one,” said General Manager of TerraCycle ANZ Jean Bailliard.

And if that’s not enough to win over the most discerning eco-focused consumer, the Bricks are certified by Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA); which states it is a not for profit that provides “solutions for sustainable consumption and production”.

Collectibles Or Just More Crap?

As far as supermarket “collectibles” go, the Bricks may be among the better ones – but perhaps not as “green” as Woolies’ Discovery Gardens. This consisted of various herb, vegetable and flower seeds, a biodegradable seed mat, a coco pellet, a compostable pot, along with educational materials that were available online.

Whether “sustainable” collectibles or just more crap, shoppers have a choice with the new Bricks as they did with previous offers – they don’t have to receive them.

At least Woolworths has put some degree of thought into this new freebie, and hopefully there will be some children who not only gain a bit of fun, but also inspiration.

The Bricks are arguably better than those horrid Ooshies things the company was including as a bonus a while ago that created some backlash. Those too could be returned for repurposing, but how many made it back isn’t clear. Some of them certainly wound up in places they shouldn’t have – such as beaches.

This isn’t an entirely altruistic exercise of course – it’s a great opportunity for Woolies to further imprint its brand on the next generation of shoppers and encourage parents to spend more. After all, there’s not much you can do with just a couple of brick bits. And if the offer is only relatively short-lived, there may wind up being a bunch of half-constructed mini stores about the place. The prospect of this could create a sense of urgency, and with that urgency, greater spend.

A sense of urgency over bricks? Well, it happened with Coles’ original Little Shop promotion. I know people who switched their shopping from Woolworths to Coles just for that. At one point, some of those collectibles were going for crazy prices on eBay, albeit only briefly, as adults were buying them for themselves.

Another point is kids aren’t known for their patience – will they be prepared to wait for a number of weeks to put together their store as a few new components come in with the weekly shop?

On a solar energy related note, Woolworths has been walking the talk when it comes to solar power and renewables. Around 150 stores had solar panels installed last I heard – details of some relatively recent solar installations can be found here. Woolworths Group has committed to powering its entire operations with renewable electricity by 2025.

And *that* is a very good thing.