Minimise single-use items
Single-use items or disposable items are products and packaging that we throw out after only one use. These items are used for only minutes but their impact on our environment can last thousands of years.
Even when these items are recyclable, we use up energy and our environment’s natural resources to produce these easily-avoidable items.
What’s better than reusing or recycling an item? Avoiding it in the first place.
Ask yourself, do you really need it? And if the answer is no, then avoid it.
Coffee cups
Australians consume more than 50,000 cups of coffee every 30 minutes. Disposable coffee cups often end up in landfill.
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Plastic cutlery and plates
After being used for only a few minutes, disposable dinnerware ends up in landfill or worse, as litter on our streets or in our parks.
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Plastic bags
Australians use around 10 million plastic bags every day and only 3% of those bags are being recycled. Switch to reusable bags to reduce the number of plastics sent to landfill.
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Face masks
Disposable face masks and surgical masks are not recyclable. Once used, put them in the rubbish bin.
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Cotton buds
Plastic cotton buds are one of the most problematic litter items found on beaches across the world.
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Straws
Plastic straws are one of the most common items found on beaches all over the world. If you really need a straw, there are great sustainable alternatives available.
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Plastic water bottles
Australians buy almost 15 billion plastic bottles every year and most of these end up in landfill or in our waterways.
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Polystyrene items
Disposable food containers and cups made from expanded polystyrene can’t be readily recycled and end up in landfill.
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Nappies
Millions of disposable nappies end up in landfill every day, and their manufacture uses finite resources and contributes to global warming.
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Wet wipes
Wet wipes typically contain plastic so, once they reach the sea, they last for a long time, causing havoc with marine life.
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Balloons
Balloons often end up in our waterways and have become one of the most harmful pollutants threatening marine wildlife.
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Junk mail
Junk mail accounts for 6% of Australia’s total paper usage. That adds up to 240,000 tonnes of paper every single year.
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Toilet paper
Using recycled paper means fewer trees are cut down, leaving them in the ground to keep our air clean, provide homes for animals and protect soil from erosion.
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