Australia cut beach plastic by over a third. Here’s how

Beaches across Australia are significantly cleaner than they were a decade ago, thanks to a sustained national effort to reduce plastic pollution. A study of coastal areas around six cities — from Hobart in Tasmania to Queensland's Sunshine Coast — found a 39% drop in plastic waste. Even more promising, the number of locations with no plastic at all rose by 16%.

Australia is aiming to cut plastic waste by 80% by 2030. To reach this goal, the country has introduced more public bins, launched anti-littering campaigns, and created hotlines to report illegal dumping. Container-deposit schemes reward people for returning plastic containers, and several states have already banned or are phasing out single-use plastics.

Clean Up Australia Day, held on the first Sunday of March, mobilizes communities for hands-on cleanup activities. Australia’s efforts align with the Global Plastic Action Partnership, a platform involving 25 national partners and 1.5 billion people. This initiative works to turn international commitments on plastic waste into real, measurable progress.