Australia – wasteful consumption costs more than A$10 billion pa

A discussion paper from the Australia Institute, disseminated by Ecorecycle Victoria suggests that total wasteful consumption in Australia amounts to over A$10.5 billion dollars annually spent on goods and services that are never or hardly ever used. Types of wasting behaviour are identified, and typical patterns of consumption highlighted in order to better understand Australia as a consumer society



This paper is the first to explore the phenomenon of wasteful consumption in Australia. It is based on a national survey of 1644 respondents carried out by Roy Morgan Research in November 2004. The survey was designed to assess the extent of behaviour that can be defined as wasteful consumption together with its prevalence among different types of households and individuals. It also set out to understand some of the attitudes associated with wasteful consumption.



The survey asked respondents to estimate their expenditure on the goods and services they purchase but do not use and their attitudes to spending on things that go unused. When aggregated across all of the items included in the survey, on average each Australian household wasted A$1226 on items purchased but unused in 2004. This is approximately equal to one month‘‘s repayments on an average Australian home mortgage. Total wasteful consumption amounts to over A$10.5 billion dollars annually spent on goods and services that are never or hardly ever used. By way of comparison, this amount exceeds spending by Australian governments on universities and roads. This assessment of the extent of wasteful consumption is likely to be a significant underestimate, both because some major items were not included in the survey (excessively large houses, rarely used holiday homes and caravans and second cars), and because there is evidence that respondents appear to have understated the extent of their wasteful consumption.



Australians can be divided broadly into four types according to the amount of wasteful consumption they engage in and their attitudes to spending on goods they do not use. The four types are as follows.



Guilty wasters: accounting for around 14 per cent of the population, these are people who say they feel guilty when they buy things they do not use but are wasters nevertheless.

Who cares wasters: also accounting for around 14 per cent of the population, these are people who say they are not bothered about spending money on goods and services they don‘‘t use. Whether big wasters or not, they are relaxed about buying things that are not subsequently used

In-denial wasters: accounting for around 15 per cent of the population, indenial wasters are those who waste a lot but say they hardly ever buy things that don‘‘t get used. ·

Saints: these are Australians who waste little, think carefully about how much use they are going to get out of the things they buy and feel guilty when they do waste things. Around 40 per cent of Australians fall into this category.



Spending by Australian households on the main areas of waste surveyed is reported. Food accounts for most wasteful consumption. Overall Australians threw The Australia Institute viii away A$2.9 billion of fresh food, $630 million of uneaten take-away food, $876 million of leftovers, $596 million of unfinished drinks and A$241 million of frozen food, a total of A$5.3 billion on all forms of food in 2004. This represents more than 13 times the A$386 million donated by Australian households to overseas aid agencies in 2003.



Analysis of wasteful consumption by demographic characteristics reveals that:



· young people waste more than older people. Wasteful consumption of food, for instance, falls sharply as age increases. Among 18-24 year olds, 38 per cent admit to wasting more than A$30 on fresh food per fortnight, whereas only seven per cent of people aged 70 or over admit to similar levels of waste

· househ

Ano da Publicação: 2005
Fonte: WARMER BULLETIN ENEWS #13-2005-April 03, 2005
Autor: Kit Strange / Warmer Bulletin
Email do Autor: bulletin@residua.com

Check Also

Isopor, é possível reciclar

BY RICARDO RICCHINIIN RECICLAGEM DE ISOPOR — 14 JAN, 2015 Maioria dos brasileiros não sabe …

Generic selectors
Pesquisar o termo exato
Procurar em títulos
Procurar nos conteúdos
Filtrar por categorias:
Thermal Treatment
Bioreatores
Vazadouros
Resíduo Proveniente da Serragem de Rochas Graníticas
Centrais de Reciclagem
Resíduos de Madeira
Reciclagem de vidro
Reciclagem de Isopor
Resíduos Gasosos
Aproveitamento energético do biogás
Estações de Transferência/Waste Transfer Stations
Privatization of Public Services
Accidents in the waste industry
Leachate treatment
Plásticos no lixo urbano; caracterização
Gestão de limpeza urbana
Entulhos de Obras de Construção Civil
Biovidros
Resíduos Sólidos de Construção e Demolição
Cimento amianto
Aterros industriais
Resíduos Agrícolas
Combustíveis
Geomembranas
Hospital Waste
Environmental Remediation
Waste sorting plant
Packaging
recuperação e reciclagem
Gerenciamento de Resíduos
Resíduos de Gesso
Biotecnologia
Gestão de Resíduos de Produtos Eletro-eletrônicos
Licenciamento Ambiental
Reciclagem - Estudos de Caso
Resíduos Espaciais
Zero Waste
Indicadores da Limpeza Urbana
Solid Waste in the United States
Acondicionamento
Waste to Fuel
Patrocinadores
Solid Waste Management
Meio Ambiente
Biodigestão
Reciclagem de Lâmpadas
Metais
Emissões Gasosas
Reciclagem de cobre
Resíduos de Dragagem
Sustentabilidade
Pavimentação
Recycling Technologies
Aviation
Food waste
Ciclo de vida dos produtos
Ação Civil Pública
Resíduos de Saúde
O estado de consumo
Embalagens de agrotóxicos
Recuperação de áreas degradadas
Estória
Qualidade Ambiental (Environmental Quality)
Gases Efeito Estufa
Aproveitamento energético dos RSU através de tratamento térmico
Polymeric Composite Materials
Green house gases
Wood waste
Últimas Notícias
Aluminum Recycling
e-waste
Análise de Custo de Resíduos Sólidos
Energia
Composição dos Resíduos
Gravimetria
Co-processamento
Poluição ambiental
Veículos em fim de vida
Financiamento
Biodegradable Materials
Greenhouse gas emissions
Marine debris
Latest News
Greenhouse gases
Mudanças Climáticas
Reciclagem de Embalagem Tetra Pak
Carvão feito de lixo
Chorume - Gera��o
Reciclagem de CD's
Waste-to-energy
Poluição Atmosférica
Medicamentos
Consórcios
Gasification
Mechanical Biological Treatment - MBT
Public participation
Las Últimas
Bioreactor
Resíduos de Serviços de Saúde
Agenda 21
Plano de Gerenciamento de Resíduos
Coco
Saúde
Reciclagem de óleo
Biocombustíveis
Waste Treatment
Organic Waste
Reciclagem de Carpetes
Solar Energy at Landfill Sites
Reverse Process
Cartilhas
Compostagem
Reciclagem de entulho e restos de obras
Geração de Resíduos
Biodegradabilidade
Gari
Reciclagem de alumínio
Sistemas de Informações Geográficas - SIG
Resíduos Plásticos
Casca de coco
waste collection
Perigos do Lixo
Informal Sector
open dump
Curiosidades
Composto Orgânico
Cestas Coletoras (papeleiras)
Biodiesel
Resíduos da Construção Civil
Metais Pesados
Life Cycle
Pirólise
Legislação
Planos de Gestão de Resíduos
Panorama dos Resíduos Sólidos no Brasil
Hazardous Wastes
Waste Management Indicators
Textile recycling
Eventos
Pesquisa Nacional sobre Saneamento Básico
Saneamento básico
Redução e Reciclagem de lixo
Licitações Públicas
Reciclagem de Madeira
Biometano
Madeira Plástica
Reciclagem de CD’s
Resíduos Agrossilvopastoris
Corona
Leachate
Landfill
Construction and demolition waste
Links
Embalagens
Pneus
Vidro
Preços de Materiais Recicláveis
Histórias
Estudos de caso
Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo - MDL
Manuais
Planos Municipais de Gestão Integrada de Resíduos
Indicadores ambientais
Anaerobic Digestion
Renewable Energy
China
Biodegradable Municipal Waste
Economia
Limpeza Urbana
Como Fazer...
Biomassa
Baling
Catadores de lixo
Reciclagem de lodo
Reflorestamento
Reciclagem de Veículos
COVID 19
Liner
Food Recovery
Biomethanization
Recycling
Reciclagem de Produtos Eletro-eletrônicos
Responsabilidade Social Corporativa
Inventário de Resíduos Sólidos
Impactos do Lixo
Tratamento e Biorremediação
Gestão Empresarial e Pública
Sacolas plásticas
Landfill Gas to Energy
Resíduos Orgânicos
Valorização Energética
Landfill recovery and restoration
Waste Characterization
Biodegradable plastic
Waste Minimization
PNSB - Pesquisa Nacional de Saneamento Básico
Lixo no Mar
Estatísticas
Educação Ambiental
Políticas Públicas - Aterros Sanitários
Metano
Necrochorume
Lixo Espacial
Reciclagem Têxtil
Marco Legal do Saneamento Básico
Fuel Cells
Circular Economy
Obsolecência planejada
Sanitary Landfill
Recuperação Energética dos Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos
Chorume - Geração
Desenvolvimento Sustentável
Seleção de Áreas para Destino Final de Resíduos
Políticas Públicas
Efeito Estufa
Simbologias de Materiais Recicláveis
Reciclagem de aço
Resíduos de Transporte
PLANARES - Plano Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos
Climate Change
Tranfer Station
Deck Lights
Licitações
Galeria de Fotos
Curiosidades
Especificações Técnicas
Vídeos
Trabalhos Técnicos
Bibliografia

More results...