Waste Challenge

Learn more about your plastic usage by completing a waste audit

Plastic waste often ends up in waterways and the ocean, affecting marine wildlife and habitats, and threatening human health. That’s why taking action for nature involves reducing your plastic footprint.

Up to 13 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year. And, Australia consumes 3.8 million tons of plastic annually – which is 3 times the global average.

That’s why collective and urgent action to eliminate plastic waste is needed.

Here are some reasons to eliminate plastic waste:

• Plastic pollution threatens wildlife and ecosystems, affecting around 800 marine species
• Plastic pollution can damage local economies
• Plastic pollution can negatively affect human health
• Plastic pollution affects water quality and safety
• Plastic waste contributes towards climate change

The #SeaToSource Plastic Waste Challenge is a waste audit that can be done individually, as a family, or in a classroom at school. After completing the challenge, you may be inspired to shop and consume differently, creating even less impact on the environment.

To learn more about your waste, we encourage you to complete an initial audit, and then again a couple of weeks later to see if you have made any changes and reduced your plastic waste.

How to complete a waste audit

This takes roughly 30 minutes to sort one week’s worth of waste. You will need your rubbish, a tarpaulin or old sheet, gloves, tongs, and the electronic form below to record what you find as you go.

Let’s Get Started

1. Lay out the old sheet or tarpaulin on a large flat area for sorting, or complete the sorting outside if not too windy.
2. Take your rubbish and recycling to the sorting area and pile your rubbish into the middle of the tarp. Alternatively, pick out items directly from the bin, and
   sort your waste as you go.
3. Using gloves or tongs, sort the rubbish into piles of different types of waste.
4. Tally each piece of rubbish/recycling in the correct category and enter totals into the form below.
5. Once you’ve gone through all your rubbish and recycling and entered your results, clean your sorting area well. Wash the
   sheet/tarpaulin as well as any other equipment used. Importantly, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

Enter your results via the Online Waste Audit Form

Tips to eliminate plastic from your kitchen

How many of your bathroom products are wrapped in plastic, made from plastic, or contain plastic?

Below is a list of some commonly used bathroom products that contain plastics – contributing towards the plastic pollution crisis.

Consider switching these for the ocean-friendly, plastic-free alternatives (on the right hand side) and be inspired to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle.

Tips to eliminate plastic from your bathroom

Below is a list of commonly used kitchen products that may end up polluting the ocean, as many of them contain plastic.

We’ve curated a list of some plastic-free alternatives (on the right-hand side) that you can select to be kinder to the ocean and the planet.