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.

Every week there seems to be an announcement of another entity phasing out something harmful, which is heartening in a world of what can be fairly depressing news. Reusable products are popping up all over the place and, importantly, it is becoming not just hip, but mainstream to use them.

I have to fight the urge to hug people when I see them sipping on their reusable coffee cups; people in the city can barely cope with eye contact, so I doubt they'd take kindly to random, spontaneous displays of affection! These are examples of the little things that add up. Some might say 'it's only one cup/straw/bag, how can that make a difference?' – but 'it's only one cup/straw/bag says 7.6 billion people' makes you realise how quickly we could see a transformation.

Governments are unbearably slow to change legislation and are unfortunately also heavily influenced by powerful lobby groups (who favour profit over impact), so it becomes up to consumers of all sizes to demand more ethical behaviour, voting with both voices and purses. As a consumer body, we need to take responsibility for our impact on a planet that can only give so much.

So what can you do today? Care about where your products come from – become informed, read Greenpeace's palm oil report and write to the poorest performing brands demanding change. Insist government legislate for clearer labelling. Consider the lipstick, dishwashing liquid, chocolate bar or packet of chips you are reaching for and shop as ethically as you can.

A few less processed foods wouldn't do us any harm as a society anyway, but it would do the world's tropical rainforests and their wildlife a heck of a lot of good.