Australian recycling
issues
Nathan Sutherland
The general population of Australians are heavy consumers of products which results in a high
amount of waste. To ensure a healthier environment this waste is best recycled rather than stored in
landfills. Preventing problems is more logical and practical than fixing them.
The issues with recycling Australia faces are the amount of renewable resources that are ignored
and disposed of when they could be reused. Non-renewable resources are overused in society; fossil
fuels such as coal, oil and gas are used to make electricity, petrol and heating. This problem can be
counteracted by recycling renewable resources and limiting or avoiding using non-renewable
resources. This in turn will help reduce pollution in the air, land and water.
There are several groups who are involved in recycling in Australia
 Planet ark is a non-profit organisation who works with people and businesses to teach them
ways in which they can reduce impact on the planet, at home, at work and the community.
 SITA provide environmental services to Sydney such as Kerbside collection of waste and
recyclables, Processing, recycling and recovery of resources from waste streams and waste
disposal.
Recycling has an impact on everyone in Australia; everyone can participate. The impact it has on
people causes them to do things such as recycle water, all the water that is used in the house can be
treated then reused for watering the garden. Recycling materials such as paper (books, writing
paper and magazines) can be placed in a paper recycling bin and made into blank sheets of paper.
Milk cartons and plastic bottles can be reused by keeping them and using them again or recycled.
Food scraps can be recycled and used as compost for gardens.
There are economic costs involved in recycling various materials; here are some of the pricing which
various companies offer:
"Research shows that hazardous substances, such as lead, cadmium and mercury from discarded
equipment, are leaching into landfill sites and costing up to $1500 per tonne to dispose of safely”
“Recycling has a net environmental benefit to the community. Taking into consideration the financial
costs of recycling and the environmental ‘dollar’ costs, the overall national benefit is an estimated
$266 million per year!”
When it comes to recycling vs. landfill and the impact it has on society, it’s a lot easier and cheaper
to just dump rubbish in landfill though various environmental and social impacts go along with this.
Nathan Sutherland
Toxins are found in many materials which are dumped in landfills, over time these toxins leach into
the soil and water. Leachate is liquid which is formed when water filters through the waste and is
highly toxic. This liquid can pollute the land, ground water and water ways. There is also an issue
with greenhouse gases; this involves organic materials such as food scraps and green waste. When
these materials are compacted and covered up it removes the oxygen and causes it to break down in
an anaerobic process. This releases methane gasses which contributes to global warming and is also
extremely flammable.
If society doesn’t start focusing more on recycling and thinking about the future there will be greater
costs associated with recycling and greater environmental issues. By recycling we can reduce
greenhouse gasses, save energy, reduce smog and preserve water making the world more
environmentally friendly which we and future generations will benefit from.
I think that recycling could be encouraged more by increasing the cost of landfill which will result in
more people recycling as its cheaper. Increasing awareness of recycling by the government could
encourage more people to recycle in their homes and around the country.
Nathan Sutherland
Bibliography
http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/Recycling.aspx
http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/education/recycling-facts-tips.cfm
http://www.environmentdirectory.com.au/companies/wrg.htm
http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/recycling-info/history.cfm
http://www.wasteservice.nsw.gov.au/dir138/wsn.nsf/Content/About+Us
http://www.planetgreenrecycling.net.au/overview.php
http://www.planetgreenrecycling.net.au/page-news.php
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-96657021.html?key=0142160D517E11126F160D021D07224E263C4D3C437779710F720E0B61651A617F137155
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/waste/publications/pubs/landfill-cost.pdf
http://epa.wa.gov.au/EPADocLib/373_B409.pdf
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Water4Life/RecyclingandReuse/
http://www.totalgreenrecycling.com.au/Range-of-Services/landfill-vs-recycling.html
http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill
Nathan Sutherland