Awareness material
As part of the Keep it Clean campaign, Healthy Waterways has developed six anti-littering advertisements. If you would like copies of these posters, please email us.
 | Food wrappers can make up a large percentage of litter, especially near fast food outlets and shopping centres. Queensland has new litter laws with general litter, which includes the dumping of food wrappers and food items, attracting fines up to $200. Always put food packaging in the bin |
 | Plastic bags are light weight, can travel long distances, and may take up to 1000 years to break down.
Australians use millions of plastic bags every day and many of these are blown or washed into our waterways where they cause suffering and death to marine wildlife including turtles, whales, and birds.
Always put plastic bags in the bin.
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 | Paint, varnishes and lacquer along with other household products contain a range of toxins and petrochemicals that are hazardous to aquatic wildlife and degrade water quality.
Even when these products are diluted they should never be tipped down stormwater drains or dumped near waterways.
Use the Planet Ark recycling website to find contact details for disposal of chemicals and paint by your local council and drop off points for other items that can be recycled. Always dispose of paint and household chemicals correctly. |
 | Cigarette butts can take up to 12 months to break down in fresh water and up to 5 years in seawater.
Birds and aquatic animals can mistake butts as food and swallow them, resulting in serious digestive problems that may lead to death.
Another concern is the toxic chemicals that the filters in cigarette butts are designed to capture, such as lead and cadmium, which will start to leach out within one hour of contact with water. Always put cigarette butts in the bin. |
 | Rain washes street litter into the stormwater system and into local waterways. This litter can add to the global problem of marine debris.
Every year over 6 million tonnes of rubbish ends up in the world’s oceans, 80% of which is plastic, with a further 10% of this being plastic bags.
Litter on land and in waterways reduces the aesthetic value of local communities, limits our recreational use of waterways and income from activities such as tourism. Always put litter in the bin. |
 | Lost and littered recreational fishing line has many impacts on waterways including death and injury to wildlife, destruction and degradation of fish habitat, and damage of recreational fishing spots. Always dispose of fishing line carefully and consider using biodegradable fishing line. Always put used fishing line and hooks in the bin. |