Plastic Revolution to Reality: A Roadmap To Halve Australia’s Single-Use Plastic Litter

In Australia, 3.5 million tonnes of plastic is consumed annually, of which 130,000 tonnes leaks into the marine environment. This represents five kilograms of plastic entering the ocean per person each year, more than three times the global average. For these single-use plastics consumed in Australia each year, we estimate that fewer than 180,000 tonnes (18%) are recovered through recycling, 710,000 tonnes (71%) go to landfill and 110,000 tonnes (11%) leak directly into the environment, much of which ends up in the ocean. The plastics problem will not resolve without a revolution in the way we produce, consume and dispose of plastic.