Cigarette butts still dominate as Newcastle sees fall in coastal plastic pollution

Newcastle has recorded a decrease in plastic pollution along its coastline, according to new research from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. The study, which compared data collected a decade apart, shows plastic waste on Australian coasts has dropped by 39 per cent overall, with Newcastle among the cities leading the improvement.

Despite the positive trend, cigarette butts remain the most commonly found item on beaches in Newcastle, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. In total, researchers recorded over 8,000 pieces of debris across nearly 2,000 surveys around six metropolitan areas, including Hobart, Perth, Port Augusta, Sunshine Coast, and Alice Springs.

Dr Denise Hardesty, Senior Research Scientist with CSIRO and co-author of the study, said the findings were encouraging but served as a reminder of the continued threat posed by plastic pollution.

“Three-quarters of the rubbish we find on our beaches is plastic, and flexible plastics, such as food packaging, are the most harmful to wildlife,” Dr Hardesty said. “Although there are still areas for concern, it’s exciting to see a significant decrease in plastic pollution as people around the country are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of plastic waste.”

The most common types of litter found across the surveys were polystyrene (24 per cent) and cigarette butts (20 per cent), followed by food wrappers, bottle lids and caps. Plastic fragments were also widespread.

In Newcastle, the decrease in coastal pollution was accompanied by an increase in sites with no plastic at all. The study noted a 16 per cent rise in areas free from plastic debris across all regions surveyed.

Dr Steph Brodie, also a co-author and CSIRO Research Scientist, said understanding the patterns of plastic pollution helps drive better waste management and policy decisions.

“We found that areas with intensive land use and socio-economically disadvantaged areas tended to have higher levels of debris,” Dr Brodie said. “These results will help to inform waste management and can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of plastic waste policies and education campaigns.”

The paper, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, builds on previous CSIRO research that showed a 29 per cent national reduction in plastic waste. The goal is to cut 80 per cent of plastic entering the environment by 2030.

The project received funding from the Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water, with earlier data funded by Shell Australia.

While some cities like Hobart and Port Augusta saw increases in waste levels, Newcastle’s positive trajectory reflects growing awareness and improved local efforts to keep beaches cleaner.