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

    Source 1
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    WORLDWIDE

    73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic

    Source 

    KILLING SEA LIFE

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

    Source

    SOURCE

    80% of marine plastic comes from land-based sources

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    GENERATION

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

    Source

    POLLUTION

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

    Source