Litter Reports

Clean Up Australia's annual Litter Report is a snapshot of litter removed by volunteers during a financial year.

This is the first year Clean Up Australia has surveyed litter collected and reported on by our volunteers over a financial year, rather than a calendar year. We've changed our reporting period to be in alignment with our
Review of Operations.


Since 1991, the Rubbish Report has proven to be an invaluable resource in identifying trends in the types and spread of rubbish throughout Australia. It continues to demonstrate the importance of refusing, reducing, re-using and recycling rubbish. 

FY23

designed by The Being Group

Clean Up Australia's Litter Report FY23 reveals that plastics continue to dominate the Australian litter landscape, marking 81% of all surveyed litter. Shedding light on the pressing challenges of plastic pollution across the country, Clean Up Australia is calling for heightened awareness of the need to stem litter production and urging volunteers to join us on Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday March 3.

 

From the previous year’s report findings, soft plastics increased to 34%, a substantial 9% rise, while hard plastics comprised 28% of all surveyed litter, equating a 4% increase for plastics overall. Cigarette butts represented 16%, an increase from the previous year, and ranked second only to soft plastic pieces in individual items reported by volunteers, followed by beverage bottles. Vapes were collected at 22% of surveyed sites, an increase from 2022 when vapes were found on only 10% of surveyed sites.

 

In response to the statistic that 44% of reported litter was cleared from waterway sites, followed by parks and bushland at 16% and 11% respectively, Pip Kiernan, Chair of Clean Up Australia, states, “Despite increased survey returns from parks, the higher volume of reported litter at waterway sites reminds us that litter has a strong likelihood of ending up in our precious rivers, creeks, and the ocean.”


“A notable rise in soft plastics is concerning and emphasises the need to address soft plastics collection and recycling in Australia and consider ways each of us can reduce single-use plastic wherever we can,” continues Pip Kiernan.


The FY23 Litter Report provides a snapshot of Australia's litter across 1356 surveyed locations between July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. The data collected was thanks to 1,030,395 Australians, who registered 17,139 clean-up sites and collectively contributed approximately 2,060,790 hours of volunteer effort.

2009 Rubbish Report
2008 Rubbish Report
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