2012
Download
About the report
The Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities commissioned Hyder Consulting to compile data and information on Australia's national performance on waste and recycling. The purpose of the report is to provide baseline data on waste generation, landfill disposal and recovery of resources and materials, to inform public and private sector decision-making about waste.
The department has released periodic compilations of data and information on Australia's national performance on waste and recycling since 2006. The primary aim of this report is to provide the most up to date and comprehensive picture of solid waste and recycling activity in Australia. This is the fourth of these reports.
Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011 reports on the 2008-09 year, updating the 2006-07 data reported in Waste and Recycling in Australia 2009 and the National Waste Report 2010.
Key findings from Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011 are:
- Waste generated in Australia continued to grow between 2006-07 and 2008-09.
- Waste generation per capita was 2140kg in 2008-09.
- Australia's national recycling rate was 51%, with 1090kg of materials recycled per capita.
Note about data:
The data presented in the Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011 report implements a new standardised method of data collection, based on the recommendations contained in the 2010 report National waste and recycling reporting - a more uniform approach to data. Comparisons of the data contained in this report with data in previous reports should consider the new methods used in this report and be made with care. The new method is detailed and tested within Waste and Recycling in Australia 2011.
This report was commissioned to support work under National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources, specifically Strategy 4 (national classifications and systems) and Strategy 16 (a national system for data and reporting).