Littering on Roads & Highways Statistics Australia
Littering is a significant environmental problem in Australia, especially in large cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. Roads and highways are among the most littered areas in the country.
Litter on roadsides has several negative impacts aside from being unsanitary and dangerous, threatening human life, property, and the environment. Road litter can be washed or blown into local creeks, rivers, and oceans, polluting land and aquatic ecosystems. Waste accumulation on roads and highways can harm wildlife and encourage the spread of diseases and breeding pests.
Furthermore, removing the litter costs millions of dollars annually, which could be better allocated towards essential services. This page will provide important insight regarding road and highway littering statistics, including the type, region, impact, and more.
How Big Is the Problem? Road Littering in Numbers
According to the latest statistics, in the 2023–24 period, a survey of 107,677 square metres picked up 10,700 litter items, totalling a volume of 740.99 litres. The most frequent items were cigarette filters and butts, while the biggest litter volume was construction material.
General Australian Waste Statistics
Australia generates 75 million tonnes of waste yearly, of which 3.8 million tonnes is plastic and 25% single-use plastic. This high generation of waste creates large volumes of litter that flow into the natural environment, finding themselves in both urban and remote areas. Over 80% of litter picked up across the country is plastic. An estimated 130,000 tonnes of plastic enter marine ecosystems each year.
In Queensland during 2023–24, 9.81 million tonnes of headline wastes were generated, an increase of 5.4% compared to 2022–23. Headline wastes include municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste, and construction and demolition waste.
Moreover, councils collected around 1.36 million tonnes of mixed domestic waste through regular red lid bin services. Meanwhile, 13,233 tonnes of litter and illegally dumped waste were cleaned up by local councils during the same period, costing an estimated $23.7 million.
Most Common Types of Litter on Roads
The most common waste on Australian roads and highways ranges from small, everyday items to major discarded items.
Paper and Cardboard: Paper and cardboard are also common, forming a large part of the total litter. This usually includes takeaway meal containers.
Drink Containers: Drink containers are usually found scattered along highways.
Food Related Products: Packaging of fast food and other food-related products is commonly discarded on roadsides.
Glass: Glass rubbish is visible on roadsides.
Metal: Metal items also contribute to roadside litter.
Miscellaneous Items: Other commonly observed varieties are bill posters and junk mail, among others.
Cigarette Butts: These are the most littered cigarette products in Australia, contributing over 50% of the litter in Western Australia.
Plastics: Plastic items, such as plastic bags and wrappers, form a significant percentage of roadside litter.
Organic Waste: Careless disposal of organic food waste can attract local wildlife to roadsides, increasing the likelihood of vehicle accidents.
Illegal Dumping: Bulky items that make up illegal dumping, such as household furniture, appliances, clotheslines, and carpets.
Where Is Roadside Littering Most Common in Australia?
Roadside litter is a serious problem across Australia, with some regions and site types displaying greater littering levels.
New South Wales
NSW has been labelled the most littered of all states in Australia, possibly because it has the largest urban locations. Roadside locations have been recorded as NSW's main hot spot for littering. The NSW government alone invests more than $9 million every year in picking up litter on major highways such as the Pacific, Princes, Hume, and Newell.
Western Australia
Research has shown that approximately 40% of all littered items in Western Australia can be found on road verges and account for 70% of the overall volume of litter. While volumes are declining overall, WA has been shown to have more litter than any other state, and rubbish discarded from automobiles is a major problem. Motorways are found to be the most littered locations in WA.
Queensland
In 2018–2019, Queensland had a greater average number of litter items than the Australian average for most site types, especially at beaches, highways, recreational parks, and shopping centres. The roads are well-known littered sites in Queensland, with beverage containers, cigarettes, and food products being the most common ones.
South Australia
In 2016-2017, the amount of rubbish collected at highway survey points declined by 13%. Highways ranked second to industrial sites overall for total volume of rubbish found, based on the Keep Australia Beautiful 2016-2017 National Litter Index.
Later data from May 2017 to May 2018 indicate that highways are South Australia's most littered locations, accounting for 35% of the litter.
Environmental and Safety Impacts of Roadside Litter
Roadside litter in Australia poses severe environmental and road safety hazards to wildlife, ecosystems, and road users. It causes damage to natural habitats, pollution, risk of accidents, and reduced visibility for road users.
Water and Soil Pollution
Trash dumped on the streets, roadside, or in the wild can be washed away by water or blown by the wind into creeks and rivers, polluting land and waterways.
As litter decomposes, it can leach toxic chemicals and microplastics into the soil or water, making it unsafe. In urban areas, runoff from stormwater drains carries pollutants such as plastic bags, drink containers, food wrappers, and cigarette butts from roads and other areas to waterways.
Damage to Wildlife
Roadside litter is a major threat to Australian wildlife. It negatively affects land and marine animals through ingestion, entanglement, and habitat destruction.
Ingestion: Animals often mistake litter, particularly plastic, as food. Ingested plastic can release poisons into the body of an animal and clog their stomachs, leading to starvation and death.
Entanglement: Nets, lines, plastic bags, ropes, clothing, and six-pack rings can trap animals and restrain their movement. It can result in injuries, infections, amputations, and possibly death.
Habitat Degradation and Disease Transmission: Litter reduces biodiversity by affecting animals negatively and contaminating their food supply and habitats.
Safety Impacts of Roadside Litter
The accumulation of trash on the roadside can complicate emergency response operations. These are as follows:
Increased Road Accident Risks
Litter, particularly from insecure loads, is a real threat to road safety and can cause accidents.
Direct Hazards: Unsecured load litter can cause "fishtailing" (loss of control) and damage cars. It causes flat tyres or traffic accidents, resulting in injury or death. On freeways in Perth, it was discovered that 40% of littered items are from unsecured loads on trailers and trucks. Freeway debris has been identified as a major factor in causing incidents in Australian traffic investigations.
Fire Hazards: Cigarette ends discarded from cars are a significant fire hazard. The Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services attends approximately 700 landscape fires per annum caused by lit cigarette ends. This can lead to dangerous roadside fires, affecting road users and possibly resulting in accidents.
Animal Crashes: Native fauna is drawn to road sides by food waste, enhancing the likelihood of collisions with motor vehicles. On Australia's rural roads, one in 41 crash casualties is a car striking an animal.
Impaired Driver Visibility
Roadside rubbish can obstruct a driver's vision, which makes driving unsafe. Likewise, a complicated visual environment can divert drivers' attention.
Impacts on Emergency Response
The accumulation of waste along the road can complicate emergency response efforts. Roadside trash can also clog drainage networks, potentially impacting the passage of emergency vehicles. It can also worsen flooding during emergencies. Moreover, a cluttered roadside environment could delay the prompt and efficient provision of emergency services to crash sites or other emergencies.
How Much Does Littering on Roads Cost Australia?
Road littering in Australia incurs huge local, state, and national costs. It includes clean-up actions, environmental damage, and broader economic impacts. It is estimated that the national cost of litter services in Australia is between $300 million and $350 million annually. As a whole, littering costs the Australian economy more than $1.2 billion annually.
New South Wales (NSW)
The NSW government spends over $9 million annually on cleanups, specifically along major holiday routes like the Pacific, Princes, Hume, and Newell highways.
Sydney Metro Area
Since 2018, illegal dumping and litter have cost Melbourne councils a minimum of $11 million every year. Outer council, on the other hand, pays over $2 million a year for disposal. The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) estimates that the real expenditure could be over $80 million a year.
Western Sydney
Western Sydney residents pay more than $31 million annually for their councils to dispose of and manage discarded rubbish.
Western Australia
In Western Australia, estimated cleanup costs for local and state government authorities and community organisations exceed $20 million annually.
Queensland
Litter costs Queensland communities millions of dollars annually in clean-up and waste management expenses. In fact, litter and illegal dumping cost Gold Coast ratepayers more than $7 million a year as the City works to maintain the area's cleanliness.
How Littering Is Reported and Penalised in Australia
Penalties for roadside littering vary across Australian states and territories. It ranges from $160 for small items in NSW to $645 for dangerous littering in Queensland, and even more stringent court punishments for the gravest offences. Littering from cars is among the most commonly penalised offences, with NSW alone's EPA issuing more than 55,000 fines.
New South Wales (NSW)
Littering along the roadside is considered to be one of the most preventable environmental problems in NSW. Littering from automobiles is regulated by the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act).
Fines on the Spot
Small objects or unlit cigarettes: Offenders are charged a fine of $160, with a maximum fine of $5,000. Companies are also charged $160, but with a maximum fine of $10,000.
Other litter and litter from a vehicle: Individuals are charged a $500 fine, while corporations pay a $1,000 fine. These are issued on the spot based on reports within the community.
Hazardous littering: Items such as lit cigarettes, e-cigarettes, lithium batteries, oil, fuel, grease, paint, or solvents are included. The on-the-spot fine for an individual is $1,000, and $5,000 for a corporation.
National Penalties Throughout Australian States and Territories
All states and territories in Australia prohibit littering, with penalties imposed by police officers or other accredited staff. In most cases, penalties imposed on corporations are higher than those imposed on individuals.
Victoria
General littering from cars (minor objects): A person can be fined $370, but a corporation can be fined $1,849.
Hazardous littering by vehicles: A person fine is $740 for a lit cigarette or other dangerous litter, and a corporate fine is $3,698.
Queensland
- General littering (<200L): A person is liable for an on-the-spot fine of $322, and corporations for a fine of $1,613.
- Hazardous littering (less than 200L): These are materials, such as shattered glass or cigarette butts can harm people, wildlife, or property. People can be fined at least $400, with an on-the-spot fine of $645..
- Illegal dumping (200L to less than 2500L): Wrongdoers can be fined on the spot for $2,580.
- Illegal dumping (2500L and above): The on-the-spot fine for individuals is $3,226.
Western Australia (WA)
General littering: People pay a fine of $200, and companies pay a fine of $500.
Cigarette butt littering: An individual pays $200, and companies $500. Throwing away a lit cigarette butt is a $500 fine for people, as it falls under "Littering creating a public risk."
Littering that poses a public hazard: These items include broken glass, abandoned car parts, or smouldering cigarettes. The individual is liable to a $500 fine, corporations to a fine of $2,000.
Fines for maximum littering offences: Individuals can be fined a maximum of $5,000, and corporations a maximum of $10,000.
Unlawful dumping: This can be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. The maximum penalty is $62,500 for an individual and $125,000 for a corporation.
South Australia (SA)
General littering (not exceeding 50 litres): Offenders pay a $210 redress fee, with a maximum of $5,000 penalty.
Class B hazardous litter (not exceeding 50 litres): This concludes a $500 expiation fee, with a maximum of $10,000 penalty.
Class B hazardous litter or general litter (50 litres and above): People pay a $1,000 fee, an overall penalty of $30,000 and 6 months imprisonment.
Any quantity of Class A hazardous litter: The overall penalty can be $120,000 and 2 years imprisonment.
Individuals can report vehicle littering in various states of Australia through the EPA’s reporting app, Report to EPA or other designated platforms. Littering from vehicles is one of the most frequently prosecuted crimes, and you can report someone littering from their car.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much litter is found on Australian roads each year?
Australia produces approximately 75 million tonnes of waste annually, 3.8 million tonnes of which is plastic, and a quarter of this is single-use plastic.
2. What’s the most littered item on highways?
The most littered item across Australia, including along highways, is cigarette butts.
3. Which state has the most roadside litter?
New South Wales has been the state with the highest level of litter as of 2024, largely due to its large city areas.
4. How is road litter cleaned up?
In Australia, numerous methods and initiatives have been applied to deal with road litter. These initiatives primarily focus on physical cleanup, community engagement, and prevention programs.
5. Are there fines for littering from vehicles in NSW?
Exactly! Fines may be issued for littering from vehicles in New South Wales, and these may be applied based on witness statements.
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