In a world that has built up a hapless addiction to palm oil, it is very difficult for conscious consumers to avoid purchasing products containing it. The blame for this lies resoundingly at the feet of Australia's government and the woeful labelling requirements it refuses to change, which allow palm oil to be listed as the more generic "vegetable oil".

Pressure to maintain such ambiguity was applied by global brand giants – the ones who produce most of the packaged foods in supermarkets and the majority of cosmetics and cleaning products. This is simply not good enough and along with the current call to label added sugar more clearly we also need to demand complete transparency with all ingredients.

Maybe along with pictures of teaspoons we could also add a sad-looking orangutan face, rating items with a destruction value. This may sound extreme and distasteful, but each purchase we make has repercussions further back in the supply chain and many consumers would like to be able to make informed choices.

A good example of making an informed choice with a big impact this week was Melbourne Zoo announcing it would no longer stock Nestle products, as Nestle has not yet submitted its report that demonstrates its complies with RSPO standards. Zoos Victoria is living up to its commitment to stock only sustainable palm oil products – insert two thumbs up and a fist bump for ethical choices! The irony of a child smearing palm oil-laden chocolate fingerprints on the viewing glass of the orangutan enclosure could not be overlooked forever.

It's a similar scenario with plastic waste. While governments have been dithering and agonising about banning such things as plastic bags, disposable coffee cups and straws, companies big and small have taken it upon themselves to make the changes and make them quickly.