Australia is often told to recycle more. And by many measures, it is. But beneath the encouraging headlines lies an uncomfortable truth: Australia is still generating a very large waste stream, and the amount sent to disposal has not fallen as much as recovery campaigns might suggest.
Using data from the Australian Government’s National Waste and Resource Recovery Database from 2006–07 to 2022–23, this five-chart story examines whether Australia is genuinely solving its waste problem or simply recovering more from a growing pile.
Total waste increased from 62.6 Mt in 2006–07 to 75.6 Mt in 2022–23, a rise of about 21%. Waste per person was 3.02 tonnes in 2006–07 and 2.91 tonnes in 2022–23, so per-person waste has stayed close to 3 tonnes rather than falling sharply. Hover to compare both measures.
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Waste and Resource Recovery Database 2024; Australian Bureau of Statistics, National, State and Territory Population.
Australia’s recovery rate improved from 49.2% in 2006–07 to 66.0% in 2022–23. Recovery increased from 30.8 Mt to 49.9 Mt, which shows real progress. But disposal still remained high, moving from 31.8 Mt in 2006–07 to 25.7 Mt in 2022–23 and staying within roughly 26–33 Mt across the period. More recovery is helpful, but it has not removed the need to reduce waste at the source.
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Waste and Resource Recovery Database 2024.
In 2022–23, metals had the strongest recovery rate at 89.8%, followed by building and demolition materials at 83.6%. But plastics recovered only 12.5% when energy recovery is included, while textiles and rubber were similarly low at 12.7%. That means nearly 9 in every 10 kilograms of plastic and textile/rubber waste was still disposed of. Hover each bar to see the full breakdown.
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Waste and Resource Recovery Database 2024.
Plastic waste disposal increased from 2,303 kt in 2006–07 to 2,616 kt in 2022–23. Total plastic waste also rose from 2,557 kt to 2,989 kt. Plastic recovery improved only slightly, from 9.9% to 12.5% when energy recovery is included, while recycling/reuse alone was 11.5% in 2022–23. Click a pathway in the legend to isolate it.
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Waste and Resource Recovery Database 2024.
In 2022–23, South Australia had the lowest disposal share at 17.6%, with 82.4% recovered when recycling, reuse and energy recovery are counted together. The Northern Territory had the highest disposal share at 65.7%, with only 34.3% recovered. Hover for exact figures, or click a waste pathway in the legend to isolate it.
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Waste and Resource Recovery Database 2024.
Australia’s waste story is more complicated than its recycling campaigns suggest. Total waste generation increased from 62.6 Mt in 2006–07 to 75.6 Mt in 2022–23, while waste per person stayed close to 3 tonnes. The recovery rate improved from 49.2% to 66.0%, showing real progress in recycling, reuse and energy recovery. However, disposal still remained high, at 25.7 Mt in 2022–23.
The data points to three major issues. First, plastics remain one of the weakest material categories: only 12.5% of plastic waste was recovered in 2022–23 when energy recovery is included. Second, recovery gains are being offset by a larger overall waste stream. Third, state and territory performance varies strongly, with South Australia recording the lowest disposal share at 17.6% and the Northern Territory the highest at 65.7%.
The conversation Australia needs to have is not just about recycling more. It is about producing less waste in the first place.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2024). National, state and territory population [Data set]. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2024). National waste and resource recovery database 2024 [Data set]. Australian Government. https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/nwd2024
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2024). National waste and resource recovery reporting. Australian Government. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/national-waste-resource-recovery-reporting