How Much Household Waste Does Australia Produce?
We all need to do our part to curb household waste and below is an in-depth breakdown of the stats and what you can do to reduce household waste.
27/09/2022
Get this: Australia generates an estimated 76 million metric tonnes of solid waste annually, and that figure has been ticking up gradually, year after year, for the past decade. Household garbage is one of the most significant contributors, accounting for about 16.3% (or 12.4 million metric tonnes) of Australia's total solid waste turnover. It trails behind the construction and manufacturing sectors, contributing 16.8% and 16.9%, respectively.
We all need to do our part to curb household waste. Keep reading for an in-depth breakdown of the stats and what you can do to reduce household waste.
Shedding the Spotlight on Household Waste in Australia
Each year, Australia produces roughly 12.4 million metric tonnes of solid household waste, and that number is soaring. In the two years between 2017 and 2019 alone, the volume of household trash generated annually increased by a whopping 10%. If that isn't sobering enough, household garbage only makes up 16.3% of the total solid waste we churn out yearly.
By comparison, the manufacturing sector — Australia's single most significant waste contributor — generates approximately 12.8 million tonnes of waste, equating to 16.9% of the yearly national total. Meanwhile, the construction industry is responsible for 16.8% (12.7 million tonnes) of Australian annual waste. The electricity, gas, and water services industry rounds out the sectors contributing the most waste at 14.4% or 10.9 million tonnes.
On an individual scale, an average Aussie generates about 540 kg of household garbage annually. That's quite staggering because it means the country turns out 10 kilograms of household waste every week per person.
To put that into context, a typical Aussie family generates enough waste to fill a whole 3-bedroom house. That's 2¼ kg of household rubbish every day! Not just that; household food waste alone puts a $20 billion dent in the Australian economy each year.
What's even more worrying is that we recycle no more than half of the 76 million tonnes of waste we generate yearly, while around 27% end up in landfills. That doesn't account for plastic wraps, containers, and other products that degrade our oceans and waterways.
That's why it pays to use the
right skip bins and segregate household waste
correctly. The Brisbane skip company –
skip bin
finder has a selection of high-quality skips at
a good price.
More importantly, everyone
needs to take action to get a handle on
household waste. Governments at all levels have
set aside resources and taken some commendable
measures to improve waste management. For
instance, the National Waste Policy is changing
how Australia manages waste and encourages
collaboration between various governments and
agencies.
Types of Household Waste Australia Produces
- Food and kitchen waste
Australian households throw away more than 2.5 million tonnes of food or nearly a third of the food we buy each year. It's no surprise kitchen & food waste is the #1 culprit when it comes to generating household garbage.
When food hits the landfill, they rot and produce methane, a greenhouse gas known for causing adverse damage to our environment. Besides, food waste costs families anywhere between $2,200 and $3,800 per year.
Most Aussies throw away food due to overbuying groceries and poor planning. Thankfully, there are numerous measures you can take to reduce food waste:
- Use a portion guide to figure out how
much your household really consumes and then
shop for food accordingly
- Inspect what’s in your pantry and
fridge before you shop and plan your meals
around what needs to be consumed
- Tuck away food you cannot eat soon in
the freezer, especially perishables like
veggies and meats. Don't forget to remove
the plastic wrapping to lengthen their
storage life.
- Use air-tight containers to store
opened dry ingredients like cereals, rice,
and pasta
- Store leftovers in the freezer or
fridge for later
- Keep food scraps for household animals and pets (if you have them)
- Electronic waste
We live in a highly digitalised society.
Electronic waste (e-waste) will continue to
skyrocket in the coming decades. They include
electronic products like mobile phones,
printers, home theatre systems, TVs, computers,
and fax machines.
Unfortunately,
e-waste
may contain hazardous materials like mercury and
lead, which can cause insurmountable damage to
our environment and health if not disposed of
properly. It’s a shame that only 10% of
Australian e-waste is recycled.
You cannot recycle e-waste in regular kerb-side skip bins. It's important to use qualified skip bin hire services to safely dispose of or recycle your e-waste. The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme will readily accept used hard drives, mice, keyboards, and other computer accessories.
- Plastics
Let's face it; households are responsible for
a big chunk of plastic waste in Australia. The
bad news is that only 10% or approximately 0.3
million tonnes of plastics are recycled
annually. Left uncontrolled, plastics can choke
our oceans and waterways, threatening marine
ecosystems.
The good news is that you can
recycle most hard plastics through kerb-side
recycling programs. Even better, you can now
drop off biscuit packets, rice & pasta bags,
bubble wrap, shopping bags, and other soft
plastics at designated points created by some
supermarkets. You can recycle or avoid the
majority of plastic wrapping and packing that
come with food.
- Hazardous materials and waste
Australian households generate over 6 million tonnes of hazardous waste. And that figure is going up by around 9% a year. They include batteries, pesticides, paint, pool chemicals, cleaning detergents, mineral turpentine, kerosene, oils, etc.
You’re not recommended to dispose of these hazardous materials in regular kerb-side bins. In fact, it may be illegal to do so for some materials. That’s because they cause adverse health risks and pollute our waterways if they leak into the environment. A top-notch skip hire company that works with hazardous waste centres will come in handy.
- Organic waste
Our households produce roughly 7 million tonnes of organic waste yearly, most of which end up in the landfill. They include timber, garden waste, biosolids, and food waste. When this organic waste rots, it generates landfill gas which comprises 55% methane, a highly damaging greenhouse gas.
Other common household wastes we produce include paper, steel, aluminium, and building waste, along with laundry, toilet, and bathroom waste.