Litter composition by density

The graphs in this section show the composition of litter density data recorded by the study in 2023–24, reported as the number of items per 1000m².

Most-littered items

The chart below shows the top 10 most-littered items recorded by the KLIS in 2023–24, by density.

Other items, followed by confectionery wrappers and snack bags, and beverage container lids are the top three litter items, accounting for 75% of the most littered items. Straws have decreased by 69% since last year.

The top 10 items account for 53.8% of all litter.

Litter by category

All items have been aggregated into similar categories, based on how they are used and consumed. Using these categories helps inform program and policy responses.

The charts below show the categories of litter recorded by the KLIS in 2023–24 compared with the 2018–19 baseline.

The takeaway and beverage and confectionary and snacks categories account for 49% of all litter items.

Litter by material

The chart below shows the material makeup of litter recorded by the KLIS in 2023–24.

About 80% of the litter is plastic. It should be noted that the KLIS surveys are carried out in estuaries. Plastic litter is likely to predominate because paper-based litter is susceptible to breaking up, and heavy litter such as metal and glass is more likely to sink.