Interesting Australian waste facts

Waste is something Australians produce every single day without fail. Whether it’s from a renovation or merely cooking dinner, waste is a guaranteed result of daily living and often occurs without us giving it much thought.

But are you aware of how much waste we produce as Australians? Sure, our team at Matt’s Skip Bins is pretty knowledgeable about the waste our city produces, thanks to our skip bins used across Sydney, but that’s because it is our living.

You’ll be blown away by some of the Australian waste stats. Whether you want to be more informed or are looking to teach the kids about their impact on waste and landfill, get ready for an eye-opening realisation below!

Average family waste facts

When it comes to rubbish, we bet your family sees a lot of it. From the packaging of delivered goods to the general food wrappers, it all adds up when you consider how much each person generates.

Don’t believe us? Here are some domestic waste facts that may put your household into perspective:

• The average household in NSW collects 8.6kg of waste a week per person
• NSW households created 3.58 million tonnes of domestic waste in 2017-18
• In over ten years, 1.4 tonnes of e-waste are generated by the average Australian family
• Each week, the average home puts out 11.2kg of residual waste
• Residents dropped off 450,032 tonnes of waste at facilities in 2017-18
• An average of $890 worth of food is wasted in each Australian household annually
• Households in metro cities are said to dispose of 24 kg of wooden furniture each year

 

Organic waste facts

A good thing about organic waste, such as green garden waste, is that much of it can be reused.

At Matt’s Skip Bins, we have dedicated organic waste categories, including green waste, dirt, and clay. These skip bin types are available for hire across Western Sydney, where we recycle them efficiently.

Unfortunately, not all organisations or individuals handle organic waste properly, consequently resulting in a lot of it ending in landfill. Here are some facts about organic waste:

• Each year, about 6.7 million tonnes of organic waste go to landfill in Australia
• Only 50 councils in NSW collect green waste
• Every year, 3.2 million tonnes of edible food are directed to landfill by Australians
• As of 2018, only 3 councils in Sydney have dedicated organic food scrap bin systems
• Of the 235,429 tonnes of waste collected by NSW councils in 2017-18, 6% was garden organics
• Average households in NSW produce 4.7kg of garden waste per week
• In NSW during 2017-18, an average of 3% of organic waste was rejected and sent to landfill due to contamination

 

Recycling in Australia

One of the most positive takeaways from this is that Australians, including Sydneysiders, are now recycling more than ever.

With the government bringing in programs to encourage recycling—including the NSW government’s ‘Waste Less, Recycle More’ program—funding and awareness is being distributed state-wide.

Some interesting facts about recycling in Australia include:

• In 2017-18, 782,032 tonnes of dry recyclables were collected from NSW
• 7% of the recycled waste found in bins between 2017-18 were takeaway containers
• The average household has 4.7kg worth of recyclable waste put out each week
• Out of the 11,000 tonnes of batteries produced each year nationally, only 3% is recycled
• The latest EPA report found NSW residents recycled 47.4% of their domestic waste in a year
• Each year, three-quarters of our wardrobe is thrown out, with only 30% recycled/donated
• 17 billion bottles and cans are used by Australians each year, with less than half recycled

 

Materials in our landfill

When it comes to landfills, you’d be surprised by what waste contributes to them. It is highly important—not just in Australia but across the world—that as little waste as possible ends up in landfill.

Below are some facts that break down and give you a good idea of the waste currently in and being sent to our landfill facilities:

• 41 million tonnes of the 1.88 million tonnes of waste that went to landfill in 2017-18 was residual
• Residents dropped off 123,572 tonnes of organic waste to facilities in 2017-18
• On average, 10% of NSW waste is incorrectly taken from recycling to landfill due to contamination
• 10MT of the 21MT in landfill is organic (food, green waste, wood etc.)
• Soft plastic makes up for 85% of Australia’s landfill
• 406,000 tonnes of clothes went into landfill between 2016-17
• 85% of furniture put in the council collection goes to landfill instead of being recycled

Know your facts

As you can see, one of the leading killers in the Australian waste industry is the large amount that ends up in our landfill. If we continue to recycle, our country will benefit greatly.

Have any furniture, garden materials or goods to throw away? Organise one of our skip bins.

When you hire with Matt’s Skip Bins, you know your waste is going to a recycling facility to ensure whatever can be reprocessed is saved.

Find and book our skip bins online through our website today. For any enquiries, just give us a call on 02 4708 2927.