Australia’s plastic waste epidemic

Posted on August 28, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste News

Aussies are producing more than a tonne of plastic waste per minute. From reducing plastic consumption to learning the proper ways to recycle, here’s how to minimise your environmental footprint.

Source: Australia’s plastic waste epidemic | RoyalAuto | RACV

 

The Department of the Environment and Energy’s recent Australian Plastics Recycling Survey found that Aussies generated about 2.5 megatonnes of plastic waste in 2016-17. That’s 103 kilograms per capita – one of the highest rates in the developed world. 

Learn how to recycle properly

One of the big issues when it comes to recycling plastics is that consumers often get it wrong. There is a misconception, Katie says, that plastics will get sorted at the facility, but this isn’t true. Throwing the wrong kinds of plastics in the recycling bin means you’re contaminating everything else, so it’s all sent to landfill.