Australian Littering Rubbish Statistics & Figures [Updated: 2023]

Environmentalists worldwide have been raising littering awareness for several years. The biggest threat to humanity is humanity. Uncontrolled garbage littering can harm the Earth’s ecosystem, devastating the lives of living creatures. Australia is currently suffering from a huge waste problem, and several waste facts in Australia are alarmingly dangerous.

Australian Littering and Rubbish Statistics

Despite the efforts made to educate people about the negative impacts of littering, the issue persists and continues to increase at an alarming rate. Here are several latest Australian littering and rubbish statistics for you.

1. How Much Waste Does Australia Produce?

Australia is one of the most waste-producing countries in the world. On average, Australia produces around 76 million tonnes of waste every year. This number is increasing yearly due to less awareness and increasing growth in the industrial sector.

2. How Much Waste Does Australia Recycle?

Around half of the 76 million tonnes of garbage is recycled annually. The littering problem isn’t new. Australia pioneered recycling programs and campaigns back in the early 60s.

3. Food Waste

Food waste and management is another big problem that Australia is facing today. On average, Australia produces around 3.3 million tonnes of food waste annually. Aussie households produce around 78% of the total food waste.

1/5th of the bought food is thrown away due to unjustified reasons. The food rots in the streets harming the environment and adding to overall rubbish in Australia.

4. Clothing Waste

Clothe waste is alarming as fewer than 10% of Aussies identify it as a severe problem. Aussies are fashion-driven people. That’s why fast fashion is always trending, leading to a higher-than-normal clothing waste ratio. The waste statistics in Australia show that over six thousand kilograms of clothes are thrown out every ten minutes in Australia. Around 70% of these are recycled.

5. Plastic Waste Statistics Australia

Plastic waste is the biggest challenge that Australia’s environment faces today. Statistical data shows that around 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste have been generated in Australia. According to an estimate, only 9% of this waste has been recycled. The rest is either incinerated or lying around, harming Australia’s environment.

Australia produces 660 thousand tonnes of plastic waste annually. Plastic cups are the leading plastic products contributing to the waste problem.

6. E-Waste

Australia is the leading country producing around 700 thousand tonnes of E-waste over the years. The fast-paced lifestyle of Australia leads to extra E-waste being accumulated on streets and store shelves. 90% of the E-waste being produced in Australia doesn’t have a dedicated recycling program.

7. Straws and Water Bottles

The first straw you ever used in life is still present somewhere on Earth. Plastic straws and water bottles are the biggest threats to the Earth’s ecosystem. They often end up in the ocean endangering marine life. 

Australia is one of the world’s biggest producers of plastic water bottles and straws. An estimated 3.5 billion straws are made in Australia annually.

Final Take

Australia has been in the litter and waste battle for decades. Despite constant efforts in this regard, the current and projected outcome isn’t satisfactory. All the statistical figures and statistics mentioned in the above article have been collected from official Australian sources.