Facts

There is so much to know about what is happening to the ocean and our waterways. So here are some key facts that we think you should know.

DEGRADATION

Stormwater is the primary driver of the degradation of streams, estuaries and embayments  in Australia's cities, and indeed in cities around the world,

Professor Timothy Fletcher cited in “Overview of Stormwater in Australia – Chapter 2” (Source) 

Waterway Ecosystem Research Group, The University of Melbourne, Submission 17, p. 2;  cited in “Overview of Stormwater in Australia – Chapter 2” (Source)

OCEAN

Stormwater is the primary driver of the degradation of streams, estuaries and embayments  in Australia's cities, and indeed in cities around the world,

Jambeck, J. R., et al. “Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean.” Science, vol. 347, no. 6223, 13 Feb. 2015, pp. 768–771., doi:10.1126/science.1260352.

ONE MINUTE

Every minute the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans

Erik van Sebille et al 2015 Environ. Res. Lett. 10 124006

MORE PLASTIC THAN FISH

If current trends continue, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050

WORLDWIDE

73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic

KILLING SEA LIFE

Plastic is killing more than 1.1 million seabirds and animals every year

SOURCE

80% of marine plastic comes from land-based sources

GENERATION

The average Australian produces 540kg of household waste a year.

POLLUTION

An estimated 130,000 tonnes of plastic ends up in Australian waterways and oceans every year.