Recycling activity in South Australia 2008-09

Overview: The 2008–09 SA diversion rate at 70.4% is the highest recorded over the last six years. This is the highest of any Australian state. The waste to landfill quantity has dropped from 2007–08 to its lowest level in the last six years. Total waste to landfill has reduced by over 16% since 2003-04. Despite a year where international recycling markets were hit by the global financial crisis, 2.55 million tonnes of materials was diverted from landfill to recycling in South Australia during 2008–09. This was down approximately 2% from 2.61 million tonnes in 2007–08. The SA per capita recycling rate has decreased slightly from 2007-08 to 1,573 kg per capita (down 3.5%). This rate is higher than any other state, and secondly only to the ACT. The highest recorded reprocessing quantities, by weight and in decreasing order, were concrete (984 735 tonnes), steel (271 277 tonnes) and timber (254 866 tonnes). While recycling activity in SA was slightly lower during 2008-09, landfilling continued to decrease resulting in a high diversion rate. As the population continues to grow, the recycling and reprocessing industry needs to continue to expand with it.