Waste streams

Every time an item that you throw away gets sent to landfill, valuable resources that went into making it are wasted – energy, water and any number of finite natural resources such as trees, oil and coal. Without harnessing these resources, the world relies on taking more raw materials from the environment to manufacture new products.
Facts about waste
60
%
of waste sent to landfill could be recovered and recycled
8 million
tonnes
of plastic are dumped into our oceans each year
65
%
of packaging is recycled
every year
Know your waste

What are the main types of waste streams?

Human society produces a wide array of waste types that are collected and treated in many different ways.

General waste streams

The everyday items you throw away hold a wealth of resources. After your general waste is collected, it is processed to recover as much of these resources as possible for reuse in new products.

 

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Specialised waste streams

Some waste streams can pose risks to human and environmental health and safety. Specific regulatory requirements and procedures cover how these specialised waste streams are collected and processed.

 

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Play your part

Everyone can contribute to the circular economy

It’s not difficult to separate your waste into different streams for recycling, but it can make a huge impact. Effective recycling increases the volume of waste diverted from landfill for reuse in new products while protecting our untouched natural resources.


Watch the video below to learn more about the impact of waste generation on the environment and how to make a difference.

Help give waste a second life - SUEZ Australia & New Zealand

Credit: SUEZ Australia and New Zealand

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