Australian Waste: The Facts

> Australia is the second highest producer of waste per

person in the world at approximately 650 kilograms per
person. This is second only to the United States America,
which produces approximately 715 kilograms per person.

> The average Australian family of four people makes
enough rubbish in one year to completely fill a
three-bedroom house from floor to ceiling.

> Australians produce over 18 million tonnes of waste every
year. That is the equivalent of three million Transpacific
Cleanaway trucks full of compacted rubbish.

> About one half of all of the rubbish that goes to landfills in
Australia is from households. The rest comes from garden
waste, industrial waste, council waste, commercial waste,
building rubble, clean fill and more.

> On average, every year each Australia throws out:
330 kilograms paper
552 aluminium cans
118 kilograms plastic
74 kilograms metals
414 kilograms food
206 glass bottles/jars

> We all need to play our part and recycle as many items as
possible. We should all be reducing the amount of waste
we generate, helping to reduce the environmental harm
our actions cause.