The plastic problem in Australia: Only 9% gets recycled

It’s no secret that we have a problem with plastic. The world is drowning in plastic waste that is being sent to landfill and polluting our waterways and oceans. While most of us think we’re doing the right thing by throwing our plastics into the recycling bin, the bigger picture tells a very different story.

Expanding on from the video we put together on Instagram, we’re passionate about becoming part of the solution. We’re going to break down here the plastic problem in Australia (hint: it’s worse than you think), and explain how you can reduce plastic in your home by making simple but impactful eco swaps.

The Plastic Problem in Australia 

If I were to ask you how much of the plastic that you put in your recycle bin actually gets recycled, what would you say? Maybe 80%? Or 50%? According to the ABS it's only 9%. That’s right, only 9% of plastic waste gets recycled in Australia.

You might think that you’re doing the right thing by recycling plastic, but it seems it’s just not enough. It’s estimated that 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated in Australia every year. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of more than 1.2 million AWD Teslas! And with only 9% of it actually getting recycled, that means an enormous 2.1 million tonnes is NOT getting recycled.

So, what happens to the plastic waste that isn't recycled? 

What Happens to Plastic in Australia? 

Australia has one of the lowest plastic waste recovery rates out of all the high income countries in the world. That means that most of our plastic is not reused or recycled and is simply disposed of in other ways. 

Out of the 91% that is not recycled, a small part gets reused, another small portion gets burned or sent overseas. But most of it is sent to landfill. Landfill is the main method of plastic waste disposal in the Australian waste recycling landscape. In fact, 84% of the plastic in your recycling bin is actually going to landfill. 

And there’s a few problems with that. 

Plastic Pollution in Our Waterways

One of them is leakage. Plastic waste can leak into our environment, and pollute our waterways and oceans. Take a look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or check out Beau Miles kayaking up the Cooks River in Sydney, known as Australia's “sickest urban river”. And these are only a couple of examples. 

Every year in Australia approximately 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaks into the marine environment and by 2050, it is estimated that plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish on a global scale. We will literally be drowning in plastic within just a couple of decades.

Carbon Emission from Landfill

Another problem that’s created by plastic in landfill is CO2 emissions. And it’s not only during conversion and production, but plastic also creates greenhouse gas emissions while it’s just sitting in landfill breaking down slowly. Plastic bottles and containers take at least 450 years to break down, meaning that during that time that they’re rotting away it’s producing harmful gases that leak into the air.

The waste sector produces around 13 million tonnes of carbon emission each year in Australia, which is about 2% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. While it seems like a small percentage, it’s potent stuff. Around 40-60% of the gas emitted from landfill is methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases that exists, causing more damage to our planet and accelerating the rate of climate change faster than we can handle.

What Can We Do to Help?

These kinds of issues can seem ginormous, especially when thinking about the sheer size of the problem and all these scary numbers and big statistics. It can certainly feel like it’s impossible for one person to make any difference. But, we can make a difference together.

In 2019, nearly half of the volume of plastic waste in Australia was generated by households (ABS, 2019), which means we as families and regular people can make a huge dent in the plastic problem in Australia. And we now know that recycling more is not enough. 

If most of our “recycling” is not actually getting recycled, this is not going to be the answer. We can’t simply throw things into our bins and forget about where it all ends up. The biggest change we can make is to use less plastic, and cut down on the amount sent to landfill. 

This can be harder than you think, because plastic is everywhere, all around us. Our supermarket shelves are filled with single use plastic packaging that can’t or simply doesn’t get recycled or reused. We have to be smarter about our choices and start making more sustainable swaps in our home.

How to Reduce Plastic in Your Home

There are so many ways to reduce plastic in your home, we only have to make some conscious choices and alternative swaps in our lives, and you’ll be surprised that you can easily cut down on your household waste.

Here are some ways to reduce plastic in your home:

• Buy vegetables and fruit loose and without plastic packaging
• Avoid any food wrapped in single use plastic like cling wrap
• Purchase more eco-friendly toilet paper that is plastic free like Who Gives a Crap
• Store any leftover food in reusable containers or jars rather than plastic cling wrap
• Carry a reusable drink bottle and refill from taps instead of buying bottled water
• Take reusable bags with you to the supermarket
• Always remember your travel mug or keepcup when you grab your morning takeaway coffee
• Look for more eco swaps that don’t use plastic, like shampoo bars instead of shampoo bottles and our detergent sheets instead of regular detergent

How Our Detergent Sheets Help You Use Less Plastic

One of the most basic but impactful choices you can make in your home is to swap plastic-filled products for plastic-free products. 

Take washing as an example. Imagine three bottles of laundry detergent and three bottles of fabric softener, being completely swapped and replaced for one little box. These six bottles of detergent and fabric softener equal just one of our Tinkle boxes. This will last a family of four for up to two months. 

By swapping from regular detergent to our detergent sheets, you can rid your laundry of the heavy and bulky plastic bottles, and also avoid sending more plastic to landfill. 

While this is just one example, you can also do the same with swapping shampoo and conditioner bottles for bars, or plastic toothbrushes for bamboo. There are many sustainable alternatives now available to help you become part of the plastic waste solution.

Looking Toward a More Sustainable Future

With almost half the plastic waste in Australia coming from our homes, a small change can make a big difference. Every piece of single use plastic you don’t use, is a massive win for reducing Australia’s plastic waste. 

While big changes in our society like renewable energy, innovative technologies, and eco-conscious lifestyles can pave the way, simply finding plastic-free alternatives is a small but very important step in doing our part.

Ultimately, it's about embracing change. Small actions, like reducing plastic use and supporting sustainable practices, lead to big impacts.