300kg find in Aussie river exposes growing nationwide crisis: 'Significant increase'
The discovery of 300kg of rubbish in a 100-metre stretch of Aussie river has exposed a major crisis taking place all across the country, damaging ecosystems and putting the health of humans and wildlife at risk.
Volunteers found thousands of pieces of plastic in just 40 minutes scouring a small stretch of mangroves in Erina Bay, part of Brisbane Water, an estuary on New South Wales' Central Coast.
It's an issue that leaves environmentalists daunted by the huge task of overcoming the problem of littering — and council reporting app Snap Send Solve predicting a "significant increase" in illegal dumping in 2025.
"It was just overwhelming," Graham Johnston, founder of not-for-profit environmental group Clean4shore, told Yahoo News.
The worrying discovery comes after weeks of rain in the state, which have caused soft plastic litter to wash into waterways. "A lot of it was food wrappings, what I call gutter rubbish, where people have been littering," he explained. "That's the biggest cause of this."
Among the mangroves, the group of volunteers also found industrial products, and an entire boat — an ever-present battle in NSW waterways. Sadly, volunteers will need to return to the "terrible" spot, which is still filled with rubbish.
Mangroves are critical to coastal ecosystems and play a key role in environmental stability, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Leaving the mangroves "full of" microplastics has significant ecological consequences. "It's pretty disappointing," Johnston said.
Australia is seeing escalating concerns about microplastics damaging habitats, affecting wildlife, and entering the food chain.
As a result, Johnston urged members of the public to dispose of their rubbish correctly by placing it in the bin first and foremost. He also suggested looking for alternatives to plastic waste.
"Let's find an alternative to plastic packaging. Can we find it in biodegradable plastic, or in a cardboard box? We've got to look for alternatives to reduce the plastic we are using," he said.
Last year, the volunteer group took 99 trips into the field, with 40.85 tonnes of waste removed. 909 volunteers contributed by collecting 88,704 individual items from NSW waterways.
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Danny Gorog, CEO & Founder of Snap Send Solve told Yahoo the problem Central Coast residents face with litter and dumping is part of a wider trend taking place across the nation.
"Illegal dumping is on the rise, and it's taking a real toll on our environment and local communities," Gorog said. In 2024, there were nearly 40,000 reports of dumped rubbish in NSW alone, with 19,000 reported already this year.
'We're on track for a significant year-on-year increase,' he warned. Gorog said that the best way to help solve the problem is to report any issues.
"Whether it's household waste, illegal dumping, or abandoned furniture, litter harms our parks, waterways and shared spaces," he said. "Tackling it starts with each of us, and Snap Send Solve makes it simple to take action."
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