TYPES OF ITEMS RECYCLED/REUSED BY HOUSEHOLDS
Aside from garden waste, Australian households are recycling and/or reusing all surveyed waste items at a greater rate in 2009 than 2006. The greatest increase over that period was for steel cans, with 80% of households recycling and/or reusing these in 2009 compared with 70% in 2006. The item recycled or reused by the most households in 2009 was paper, cardboard or newspapers (95%). Other commonly recycled or reused items by households included plastic bottles (94%), glass (93%) and plastic bags (90%) (table 2.4).
Further results of note are:
- 66% of Tasmanian households recycled and/or reused kitchen or food waste compared to the national average of 51%.
- South Australia had the highest percentage of households recycling aluminium cans (90%) which was 6 percentage points greater than the national average of 84%. Households in South Australia were also more likely to recycle garden waste (74%), compared with 65% for Australia.
- 18% of Northern Territory households recycled motor oil compared with the Australian average of 13% (table 2.4).