Australia generated 75.8 million tonnes of solid waste in 2018-19, a 10% jump in just two years (ABS, 2020). Of that, 84% of all plastic waste went to landfill, and only 9% was recycled. Below are 50 sourced facts about rubbish and waste: where it comes from, what happens to it, and what the numbers actually mean. Last updated: July 2026.
50 facts about rubbish and waste: sourced, sorted by topic
Australia's Waste by the Numbers
Australia generated 75.8 million tonnes of solid waste in 2018-19. That is a 10% increase over the two preceding years.
Households contributed 12.4 million tonnes of that total, or about 16% of all waste generated nationally.
Over half of all waste nationally was sent for recycling: 38.5 million tonnes in 2018-19. The landfill total was 20.5 million tonnes, or about 27%.
The three biggest waste-generating sectors in Australia are manufacturing (12.8 million tonnes), construction (12.7 million tonnes) and households (12.4 million tonnes). Together they account for roughly half of all waste.
Australia spent $17 billion on waste collection, treatment and disposal services in 2018-19, an 18% increase since 2016-17.
The waste services industry employs 36,000 people across Australia and contributes $4.87 billion to the economy each year.
Construction and demolition waste is the largest single category by volume. Masonry materials alone reached 22.7 million tonnes in 2018-19.
Plastic Waste Facts
Australia generated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2018-19. Households were the biggest contributors, responsible for 47% of that total (1.2 million tonnes).
Of all plastic waste generated in Australia, only 9% was recycled and 84% went directly to landfill.
Plastics have the worst recovery rate of any major waste material in Australia, at around 19%. By contrast, aluminium recovers at 90%.
Australians used 3.5 million tonnes of plastics in 2018-19, and around 60% of that plastic was imported.
One million tonnes of Australia's annual plastic consumption is single-use plastic, items used once and thrown away.
Australia uses roughly 70 billion pieces of soft scrunchable plastics (food wrappers, packaging film and similar) every year.
Approximately 130,000 tonnes of plastic leaks into Australia's marine environment each year.
Australia is missing out on an estimated $419 million of economic value each year by not recovering all PET and HDPE plastic (CSIRO national circular economy roadmap).
By 2050, plastic in the world's oceans is estimated to outweigh fish by mass, if current consumption and disposal patterns continue (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).
Global plastic use is projected to double by 2040 relative to 2016 levels (World Economic Forum / Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016).
Food Waste Facts
Food organic waste accounts for 37% of Australia's organic waste stream, which in turn is 20% of all waste generated.
Households generate 55% of all food organic waste in Australia (3.1 million tonnes per year).
Of the 15.3 million tonnes of organic waste generated in 2018-19, 45% went to landfill (6.9 million tonnes) and 42% was sent for recycling.
Food produced in Australia can theoretically feed significantly more people than its population, yet large volumes are discarded at the consumer and retail stages.
In higher-income countries, a disproportionate share of food waste occurs at the consumer and retail stages. In lower-income countries, it tends to occur during post-harvest handling and processing.
If wasted food were a country, it would rank among the world's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Supermarkets frequently reject fruit and vegetables that do not meet cosmetic standards.
E-Waste Facts
Australia generated 539,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2018-19. Around 40% of that came from households.
Only half of Australia's e-waste was recycled in 2018-19. The remainder went to landfill or other disposal.
E-waste includes anything that runs on electricity or has a battery: phones, laptops, televisions, kitchen appliances, power tools and more. Many retailers accept old electronics regardless of where they were originally purchased.
The world generated a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, up 82% from 2010. Only 22.3% of that mass was formally collected and recycled, leaving US$62 billion worth of recoverable materials unaccounted for (ITU/UNITAR, Global E-waste Monitor 2024).
Before a child is fully toilet trained, they typically use a very large number of disposable nappies.
How Long Rubbish Takes to Decompose
An aluminium can in landfill takes many years to decompose. Yet aluminium is one of the most valuable recyclable materials, with a 90% recovery rate in Australia when it is recycled.
A glass bottle in a landfill has no reliable decomposition timeline. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be reused indefinitely.
A plastic shopping bag takes a very long time to break down into microplastics. It does not disappear: it fragments into smaller particles that persist in soil and water.
A styrofoam cup is considered non-biodegradable under normal environmental conditions. It is not accepted in kerbside recycling.
Food scraps decompose relatively quickly in the right conditions (a few weeks in a compost environment), but in landfill, where oxygen is limited, they generate methane as they break down. That methane is a potent greenhouse gas.
Paper decomposes within a few months in the open air but can last years in landfill. Paper and cardboard have a 65% recovery rate in Australia (ABS, 2020).
Recycling and Recovery Facts
The material with the highest recovery rate in Australia is masonry material (concrete, bricks, tiles) at 81%, followed by metals at 76% and paper and cardboard at 65% (ABS, 2020).
Aluminium has the single best recovery rate of any material in Australia at 90% (ABS, 2020). Recycling aluminium uses significantly less energy than producing it from raw materials.
Hazardous waste has one of the lowest recovery rates: 27%. In 2018-19, 58% of Australia's 8 million tonnes of hazardous waste went to landfill.
Textiles have a recovery rate of just 26%. Households are responsible for nearly 90% of textile waste (247,000 tonnes per year).
Glass has a 58% recovery rate in Australia, meaning roughly 42% of glass waste ends up in landfill despite being infinitely recyclable (ABS, 2020).
Australia exported 4.4 million tonnes of waste in 2018-19, representing 6% of total waste generated. Metals accounted for 59% of all exported waste.
A large proportion of what goes into a typical household bin could be composted rather than sent to landfill.
Waste and the Economy
Australia's waste management industry contributed $4.87 billion to GDP in 2018-19 and employed 36,000 workers, up from 31,000 in 2016-17.
Households spent $595 million on waste services in 2018-19, while the construction industry spent $2 billion.
The electricity, gas and water sector has the highest waste intensity of any industry: it generates 253 tonnes of waste per million dollars of value added. That is largely driven by ash from coal-fired power stations.
Litter management imposes significant costs on state and local governments each year.
Global Waste Context
Developed countries account for the majority of global municipal solid waste by volume, though waste generation is rising fastest in middle-income countries as urbanisation increases.
Skip the council wait. Paul's Rubbish Removal collects household rubbish, furniture, e-waste and hard waste across Sydney. Book before 10am for same-day collection. Call 0407 125 125 or see our Sydney rubbish removal page for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most surprising facts about rubbish and waste?
Australia generated 75.8 million tonnes of solid waste in 2018-19, a figure that increased 10% in just two years (ABS, 2020). Of the plastic waste generated that year, 84% went to landfill and only 9% was recycled. The aluminium can, by contrast, has a 90% recovery rate when recycled, and recycling it uses significantly less energy than producing aluminium from raw materials.
How much waste does Australia produce?
Australia generated 75.8 million tonnes of solid waste in 2018-19 (ABS, 2020). Manufacturing, construction and households each contributed around 12-13 million tonnes, together making up roughly half the national total. Households alone produced 12.4 million tonnes.
What percentage of plastic is recycled in Australia?
As of 2018-19, only 9% of plastic waste generated in Australia was sent for recycling. Around 84% went directly to landfill (ABS, 2020). Australia generates approximately 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste per year, with households accounting for 47% of that (1.2 million tonnes).
How long does it take for rubbish to decompose in landfill?
Decomposition rates vary widely by material. A glass bottle may take an extremely long time in landfill. An aluminium can takes many years to break down in landfill. A plastic bag takes an extremely long time to break down, and it does not fully disappear: it fragments into microplastics. Paper decomposes faster (months to years) but generates methane in oxygen-limited landfill conditions, where even food scraps decompose far more slowly than in a compost environment.
