By Susan Schwartz
Plastic, followed by cigarette butts are the number one litter type in Australia, as Clean Up Australia Day calls for volunteers on the largest day of environmental action.
Plastics continue to be the number one litter type in Australia’s streets, parks, bushlands and waterways, representing 80.8% of all counted litter collected by volunteers, according to Clean Up Australia’s FY25 Litter Report.
Cigarette butts, also made of plastic, were the most littered individual item, representing 23.6% of all counted litter.
On Sunday, March 7, 2027 people, families, schools, and community groups across the country will help to clean up their local beaches, creeks, parks, or streets.
Clean Up Australia Chair Pip Kiernan said the day was a practical way for communities to take action in their own neighbourhoods.
“There’s nothing quite like seeing our whole nation come together for a shared purpose,” Ms Kiernan said.
“From our loyal volunteers who have been involved since the beginning, to kids doing their very first Clean Up,” Ms Kiernan said.
Close to 24 million volunteers have joined the Clean Up Australia Day effort for more than 36 years.
More than 850,000 people took part in 2026 across more than 11,000 events nationally.
But the litter volunteers find is part of a much bigger picture.
Australia generated 79 million tonnes of waste in 2024-25, up 4.1 percent on the previous year, with waste per person up 2.5 percent, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) National Waste and Resource Recovery Report 2026.
Plastic consumption also rose from 4.0 to 4.2 million tonnes, with only 16 percent of plastics recovered, according to DCCEEW’s Australian Plastics Flows and Fates Study 2024-25 National Report.
The encouraging news is that Australians are ready for change, with 89 percent believing there should be stronger rules for manufacturers and brands to help reduce waste, and 94 percent supporting a circular approach to packaging in Australia, according to the Cleanaway Recycling Behaviours Report 2026.
Clean Up Australia Day 2027 registrations are open, and volunteers will receive a free Clean Up kit, containing gloves, bags and other resources.
Packs are free for individuals, families, community groups and schools, with businesses asked to pay a small fee to cover costs.
Volunteers who register a Clean Up Australia Day event before 31 December, will automatically be entered into an early bird competition to win one of 10 donated $500 Coles vouchers.
For those unable to participate, Clean Up Australia also welcomes donations, with the funds raised going directly to empowering Australians to take positive action for the environment and providing free Clean Up kits.
