You put trash in the bin. Out of sight, out of mind, right? But what actually happens to general waste?

Australians, including Sydneysiders, are generating more non-recycled waste than ever before, despite the various ways we can recycle a vast array of items. Even though so many of us are committed to recycling, too much still gets thrown away – which is not acceptable when there are better options.

Australia currently ranks fifth in the industrialised world for the vast amount of rubbish we generate. This is an appalling statistic, considering our relatively small national population. It is a sobering statistic that Sydney residents are amongst the highest waste generators in the country.

All rubbish that is thrown away and is not destined for the recycler will be dumped in landfill. Australians send millions of tonnes of rubbish annually to landfill. A staggering sixty percent of our total rubbish is never recycled – which is ridiculous and quite shameful when compared with, for example, Sweden, where just four percent of rubbish is not recycled.

This is what landfill means: rubbish is dumped at an open hole in the ground. Birds, rats and mice swarm in the rubbish and can be harmed by hazardous materials, as well as themselves carrying lice and disease. Rubbish in a dump takes decades to decompose, and even longer for some items. Certain items, can take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose naturally.

Another form of landfill incorporates an isolated dumping structure where rubbish can be kept separated to a certain extent from the surrounding environment. This rubbish takes much longer to decompose than that in an open dump.

The sheer volume of landfill is a problem – yet this is not the biggest environmental issue landfill presents. Much of what goes into landfill is toxic to the environment, including to water supply, plants, animals, and ultimately humans. Items that are toxic can contaminate soil, air and water, and leech into the surrounding environment. The common household battery is one of the most common toxic landfill waste items.

What can you do? Reduce your waste, recycle wherever possible, and be mindful about how you use and discard common household items.

AA Adonis Rubbish Removals in Waverley will come to take away your rubbish, and affect environmentally responsible rubbish disposal. We recycle or donate everything we possibly can – so you know that your landfill contribution will be as small as we can possibly make it.