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Litter in Australia is prevalent in many areas and a significant environmental problem, particularly in the large cities of Sydney and Melbourne. In 2023, plastics make up 81 per cent of all surveyed litter. [1]
An anti-litter movement began in 1969 in Victoria with the formation of Keep Australia Beautiful. Its major anti-littering campaigns "Do the right thing" and "Tidy Towns" became well known nationally. Today, the most vocal organisation is Clean Up Australia which holds a national clean up day.
There is currently no national legislation against litter, because the federal government is not authorised by the Constitution to legislate on such a subject.
It is considered the responsibility of either States and territories of Australia or Local Government Areas. All states and territories now have legislation against littering which may include fines that are enforceable by the police or other agents.
Littering is one of the reasons that around 130,000 tonnes of plastic end up in Australian waterways. [2]
In 2006, the most commonly littered item was cigarette butts, followed by items made from paper and cardboard with plastic items a close third. [3]
In 2015, Victoria was the state with most littering followed by Queensland. [4]
Litter generally describes something that has been put where it is not meant to be. [5] It can be solid or liquid and come from domestic or commercial use. [6]
In Victoria, the first legislation included the Environment Protection Act (1970) and later the Litter Act (1987).
The responsibility to enforce the regulation is divided between EPA Victoria, Victoria Police, local governments, VicRoads, Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water. [3]
The Environment Protection Authority (Victoria) was the first to facilitate report littering online (based on vehicle registration details) by introducing the appropriate legislation and dispense fines. EPA was also the first in Australia to create a public litter reporting service in 2002. [7]
In 2015-16, more than 75 per cent of reports submitted to EPA Victoria by the public were about people discarding cigarette butts from their cars and 60% of offenders were male. Altona, Melbourne and Altona North were the three areas were the most littering was reported. [8]
As of 2024, fines for littering can go up to $769 for individuals and $3846 for corporations. [9]
The Independent Inquiry into the EPA report commissioned by the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water that was delivered in 2016 found that litter fine revenue accounted for "just under five per cent of the EPA’s operating budget". [10] The report recommended that the EPA no longer retain revenue from litter fines as retaining revenue is a "clear conflict of interest and aligns poorly with the EPA’s mission. The availability of these receipts may distort the regulator’s incentives and encourage it to dedicate a disproportionate share of its limited resources to a relatively minor environmental hazard." [11]
Northern Territory followed Victoria and adopted the Litter Act (1972).
In South Australia the Container Deposit Legislation (1977) was introduced with the aim of reducing litter by encouraging recycling and remains the only state in Australia with this type of legislation. [12]
Anti-litter legislation was introduced to Western Australia through the Litter Act (1979).
Litter legislation was introduced to the Australian Capital Territory with the Litter Regulations (1993).
In Queensland, litter laws first came into place through the Environmental Protection Act (1994).
In New South Wales, legislation was introduced through the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.
In Tasmania, anti-litter legislation was introduced through the Litter Act (2007).
Coolaroo is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 18 km (11 mi) north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Coolaroo recorded a population of 3,193 at the 2021 census.
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Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The word litter can also be used as a verb: to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles on the ground, and leave them there indefinitely or for other people to dispose of as opposed to disposing of them correctly.
Container-deposit legislation is any law that requires the collection of a monetary deposit on beverage containers at the point of sale and/or the payment of refund value to the consumers. When the container is returned to an authorized redemption center, or retailer in some jurisdictions, the deposit is partly or fully refunded to the redeemer. It is a deposit-refund system.
Environmental crime is an illegal act which directly harms the environment. These illegal activities involve the environment, wildlife, biodiversity and natural resources. International bodies such as, G7, Interpol, European Union, United Nations Environment Program, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, have recognized the following environmental crimes:
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Visy Industries is a privately-owned Australian-American paper, packaging, and recycling company established in Melbourne in 1948. Visy was founded by a number of people. Richard Pratt acted as the head of the company after 1969 until his death in April 2009, when his son, Anthony Pratt, assumed the role of executive chairman. Since his assumption of the role, Anthony Pratt has presided over a major expansion into the Asian packaging market and moved Visy to a position as a key player in food security for the region.
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The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is Victoria’s environmental regulator. EPA is an independent statutory authority, established in 1971 under the Environment Protection Act 1970. EPA's role is to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of pollution and waste on Victorians and their environment.
Container deposit legislation (CDL), also known as a container deposit scheme (CDS), is a scheme that was first implemented in South Australia in 1977 and over the decades has spread to the Northern Territory in 2012, New South Wales in 2017, the Australian Capital Territory in June 2018, Queensland in November 2018, Western Australia in October 2020 and Victoria in November 2023. The scheme is due to commence in the last remaining state of Tasmania in early 2024.
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Waste management in Australia started to be implemented as a modern system by the second half of the 19th century, with its progresses driven by technological and sanitary advances. It is currently regulated at both federal and state level. The Commonwealth's Department of the Environment and Energy is responsible for the national legislative framework.
The RedCycle or REDcycle program was an Australian soft plastic recycling program started in 2010 by RG Programs and Services and suspended in 2022.
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Environmental law in Victoria concerns the laws and legal measures taken to protect human health and the environment and tackling Environmental issues in Australia happening in the state of Victoria, Australia.
Odour pollution in Australia is a type of pollution regulated by law and arises mainly in industrial areas.
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