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Waste Statistics in Australia 2022: Why We Should Act Now

This year marks the beginning of a brand-new decade that many looked at with optimism and a new lease on life. But as months move fast, many wonder if the years moving forward can worsen. 

Australia has been through wildfires, the coronavirus outbreak, an economic downturn to the abrupt collapse of waste management chains; this year has a long way of catching up with the great opportunities and curve flattening of the escalating cases in Australia.

With that said, the war on global health emergencies through staying at home is like curving more of Australia’s waste statistics in 2022.

Related: Residential Rubbish Statistics During the Pandemic

Climbing Waste Statistics of Australia

Councils across Australia have seen a significant increase in household rubbish volumes and waste disposal. A combination of rubbish from more online shopping, home renovations, returning foreign workers to their home countries and clearing unused belongings during the coronavirus lockdown cause a spike in waste statistics.

Australians are known to produce 540kg of household waste per person each year. As a result, the country generates an estimated 67 million tonnes of junk, but only 37% of these are recycled. However, these numbers are growing and are tremendously threatening the affected living things. 

Recently, Canada Bay City Council in Sydney reported an increase of 50% in household materials throughout April 2020 compared to last year. In the council of Sydney, there’s a 35% rise in the volume of special collections, which is alarming because landfills nowadays can’t keep up with the soaring statistics of waste. 

Aim Waste Reduction: Act Now!

The problem of waste is an eternal battle that continues as the world ages. The Australian government feels restless with the ongoing national waste planning and yearly improvements. 

On the other hand, the trillion tonnes of waste cannot wait any longer on the government’s actions. Australians can contribute to a massive change in waste reduction in the country if changes are made to managing the waste properly or reducing the garbage at home.

Simple steps such as using a reusable cup for your morning coffee and choosing not to buy bottled water will help reduce waste. This might not sound like a big step toward better waste management, but if millions are more conscious of how much trash they create, people will begin to affect the earth and its future positively.

Instead of dumping waste on the curbside, some rubbish is still recyclable and can be donated, or use plastic bags alternatives to lessen the waste. Alternatively, a rubbish removal Sydney company can help.

Here are some reasons we should act now on the climbing waste statistics of Australia 2022.

Clearing and Conserving Landfill Spaces

Conserving space in Australia’s landfills is one of the bigger reasons to reduce waste. Reducing the need to build more landfills will save up valuable space and will minimise the source of air and water pollution.

While Australia currently faces a major waste crisis as landfills threaten to run out of space, more than 6.2 million tonnes of organic waste are consistently sent to landfills yearly. So while recycling encourages people to lessen rubbish at home, looking to other options like reusing and reducing waste is helpful.

Conserving Natural Resources

Natural resources are finite. By reducing the homeowner’s waste, resources are also conserved. Resources like aluminium, petroleum and trees are all used to produce new materials such as bottles, cans, plastic bags and paper packaging.

Waste Threatening Marine Life 

About six billion tons of waste is disposed of annually in oceans worldwide. This rubbish is mostly some form of plastic matter. Common rubbish that you can see in the oceans are shopping bags, water bottles, fishing gear and polystyrene products (such as cups of tea and coffee).

One of the big threats to marine ecosystems is the amount of plastic waste in the oceans. Many species can suffocate and die when they eat plastic or become entangled in other discarded debris at sea, such as abandoned fishing nets. This is why urgent action is necessary to protect marine animals, especially endangered ones.

Air Pollution Affecting Humans

Another way of discarding the waste is by burning the waste illegally. The reason for burning the destruction is that landfills are too crowded, leaving companies no choice but to burn the rubbish. Although the act will reduce the bulk of waste in landfills by 25%, the negative side is that it emits toxic and infectious gases into the atmosphere, creating air pollution.

While Australia’s current air pollution standards are not strong enough to protect human health, the harmful gases can make people suffer health conditions like stroke, heart disease and asthma if they inhale too much air pollution. Not only will it harm the people, but the environment will also be more affected. Therefore, wastes from landfills must be adequately managed.

Conclusion

Managing waste is one of the challenges that Australia faces right now. With the sudden global emergency occurring worldwide, a need to stay at home increases the possibility of dumping too much waste in the curbside. From renovations to food and plastic waste, these have implications that urge people to act now and reduce the growing rubbish statistics in Australia in 2022.

We have served Australia for over a decade at Paul’s Rubbish Removal Sydney to have manageable waste. Our team aims to safely clear all your garbage at home without harming the environment. With us, we will expertly sort out all kinds of rubbish to make you worry less and hassle-free. Contact us at 0407 125 125 or email us for more information about our rubbish removal services.

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann

Sarah Ann is a Digital Content Writer for Paul's Rubbish Removal. Sarah is a huge advocate for recycling, environmental sustainability, health and well-being and has a genuine love for all sea animals. Keep up with Sarah by following Paul's Rubbish Removal blog!

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