Rubbish and Recycling Statistics

• Each year statistics are compiled on waste disposal to landfill and resource recovery levels. Data on waste disposed to landfill is gathered from the ACT NoWaste weighbridge transaction database. Data on reuse, resource recovery and recycling is gathered by surveying approximately 120 organisations involved in these activities.
  
• In 2010-11, approximately 268,000 tonnes of waste was sent to landfill. This was an increase of approximately 39,000 tonnes (or 17%) from the previous year. The total amount of recycling and resource recovery was approximately 807,000 tonnes, which is a huge increase (219,000 tonnes, or more than 37%) from the previous year.
  
• The percentage of total waste recycled in 2010-11 was around 75%, a 4% increase in the recovery rate from the previous year. Even though waste to landfill increased slightly compared to 2009-10 levels, resource recovery and recycling increased more quickly. This resulted in an overall improvement in the resource recovery rate in the ACT.
  
• The major sector contributing waste to landfill was the Commercial and Industrial sector. Waste from that sector comprised nearly half of all waste to landfill in 2010-11.
  
• In 2010-11 waste to landfill from Construction and Demolition sources increased by 32% compared to the previous year (38,900 tonnes in 2009-10 and 51,300 tonnes in 2010-11). Some drivers of this increase include improvements in the waste classification process at the weighbridges; increased activity in the building industry and changes to the local Construction and Demolition waste recycling industry.
  
• Kerbside waste from households (ACT and Queanbeyan) increased in 2010-11 by 3,500 tonnes, an increase of around 5%. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated population growth over the same period to be approximately 1.8%, so our increase in waste outstripped population growth last year. Canberrans recycle well, with 85% of standard recyclables (paper, plastic, glass and metals) and over 90% of green waste being recycled. However, 13% of the waste in kerbside garbage bins is still material which could be placed in recycling bins. ACT NoWaste is working to increase awareness about recyclable materials through our education programs and community engagement.
  
• There remain opportunities to improve overall levels of resource recovery above the current level of 75% with existing recycling services. New initiatives may lead to even greater improvements. More recycling in workplaces, including the ACTSmart business and office recycling program to divert Commercial and Industrial waste from landfill, present a great opportunity to reduce waste.

The following graphs show the ACT's progress in diverting waste from landfill and increasing reuse and recycling options.

• How is the ACT going overall? ( PDF 411KB)
• How much is being reused and recycled? ( PDF 1557KB)
• How much waste is going to landfill? ( PDF 669KB)
• Landfill Audit Report( PDF 83KB)
• Household Garbage and Recycling Performance Audit Report ( PDF 421KB)

Previous annual progress reports can be accessed via our Links and Publications section.