Understand Your Waste Per Person

Posted on: July 10, 2020

While we're all responsible for WA’s waste, it’s not something we tend to see on a daily basis because our councils run effective waste collections.

But if you need a kick-start to changing habits, then when not try one or all of these tips to help remind you of your contribution?

Take check of your bins

Look in your bins throughout the week and consider the amount and type of waste being created. Even better, take photos as a record and compare the contents each week.

Count how many times you empty the bins inside the home – kitchen, bathroom, waste paper bins – and take note of the amount and type of waste.

Consider how you might reduce weekly waste. A great way to do this is to pick just one or two items (i.e. plastic water bottles or tissues) and commit to cutting them out completely.

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Visit your local tip

Take a trip to your local tip (also known as a recycling and waste transfer station) – you'll be surprised at how much things have changed in the last decade.

Most councils now have sophisticated recycling and salvage operations in place – making these places a great resource for all manner of secondhand goods.

You’ll probably also get to see designated stations for e-waste, cardboard, mattresses, glass, polystyrene, aluminium and steel cans, plastic bottles, scrap metals, landscaping and building materials along with household items such as clothing, furniture, appliances and bicycles and possibly even hazardous waste collections.

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Collect litter

If you can, head to the coast or nearby river and spend an hour picking up litter. You’re likely to be surprised, if not a little horrified, by how much you collect. At the end you’ll know that you’ve just prevented those items from entering the ocean and harming marine life, and you’ll also probably be more mindful about the cumulative impact of waste when it’s not correctly disposed of.