MAIN FINDINGS
A major finding of the survey was that 99% of Australian households participated in some form of recycling and/or reuse of waste. Paper/cardboard/newspapers, plastic bottles, glass and plastic bags were the most recycled materials in Australia. These materials are often recycled through municipal kerbside recycling services, to which 91% of Australian households currently use.
In 2009, Australian households were recycling the majority of surveyed items at a greater rate than in past survey years. The greatest increase was for steel cans, with 80% of households recycling and/or reusing these in 2009 compared with 70% in 2006.
Another key finding was that Australians continue to increase their ownership of motor vehicles. In 2009, 92% of households had one or more registered motor vehicle kept at home. Of these households, 97% had a car, station wagon or 4WD passenger vehicle. Of note was that 8% of households increased the number of registered motor vehicles they owned by at least one, while only 5% decreased the number of registered motor vehicles they owned by at least one. The main form of fuel used by households' main motor vehicles in the past year was unleaded petrol (86%). Ninety percent of households with at least one registered motor vehicle service their main motor vehicle at least once a year.
In March 2009, half (50%) of all Australian households had at least one working bicycle. Of these households, two-thirds (66%) had two or more bicycles in working order.
For 80% of people, travel by private motor vehicle was the main form of transport to their place of work or full-time study. Of those people who usually travel to work or full-time study, six in ten (62%) travelled less than 20 kms to their place of work or full-time study. The main reasons given for not using public transport were, services not being available at the right/convenient time (27%) and no public service being available (26%).
Other key findings of the survey are presented below and details are presented in the subsequent chapters.
Quality Declaration 
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