7.2 billion cigarette butts are littered annually in Australia – just think of all those chemicals leaching into the ground and waterways.⁶³

An apple core can take around two months to decompose and a banana peel can take up to two years. While decomposing, food waste also creates a breeding ground for insects and rats – gross!⁶⁴

Latex and acrylic paint is basically liquid plastic with pigments added. Washing your paintbrush in a sink sends billions of micro and nano-scale plastic particles down the drain. Dispose of your paint at your local Community Recycling Centre, or create your own milk paint as an alternative – it’s how old barns and furniture were painted.⁵⁹

Walking that little bit further to find a bin makes a huge difference. If you don’t dispose of your rubbish correctly, you never know where it could end up or who might eat it (it could even be you). 
 

In one year, you can save 126 trees from being chopped down by using a reusable coffee cup instead of disposable ones.⁶²

A single 1 litre drink bottle could break down into enough tiny pieces to stretch 1.6kms down a beach. Buy glass instead of plastic or bring your own reusable bottle.⁷⁴

The average working life of a plastic shopping bag is about 12 minutes before it’s discarded. These bags take up to 500 years to break apart where turtles and other marine animals mistake them for food.¹⁷ Take a reusable bag to the shops next time.

Take away food containers are over 30% of littered items in NSW.² Reduce your impact by using your own container and utensils for your takeaway snack. 

In Australia, soft plastic packaging can’t be recycled through most kerbside recycling services. But if it scrunches, then it can be recycled at participating supermarkets. This means it’s kept out of landfill (not to mention our beaches, rivers, and parks). 

E-waste is responsible for 70% of the toxic chemicals, including lead, cadmium, and mercury, that ends up in landfill.⁶⁷ Currently, Australia generates 700,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, with households producing about 73 kilograms each.⁷⁰

By collecting eligible beverage containers (and keeping the labels on), you can take them to a return point to claim a deposit, or donate to charity. 

Every day more than 10 million plastic straws are used in Australia for 20 minutes or less and then tossed. One of the most disposable objects on earth lasts for centuries.⁶⁵ The solution is simple: skip the straw or bring your own.

By saying ‘no thanks’ when offered a plastic bag, straw, plastic cup or lid, you can make a difference.

Whether it’s for your smoothie, salad bowl, or morning coffee, saying no to a lid will reduce your consumption of unnecessary packaging.