Litter threatens wildlife and reduces the quality of our public spaces.
Items left or disposed in the wrong place (anywhere other than a bin) that are smaller than a plastic bag are considered litter. Items larger than this are considered illegal dumping.
Litter can travel far from where it was left due to wind and rain, ending up in our environment where wildlife can mistake it for food or be otherwise injured.
Preventing litter before it enters our environment is a priority for Inner West.
Video/Image credit: NSW Environment Protection Authority
Council’s litter prevention roadmap
In 2024, Council was awarded a 3-year grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to implement a Litter Prevention Roadmap. The roadmap is guided by the following vision:
Council and the community must collectively take responsibility for litter, working together to ensure our public spaces are welcoming, accessible, clean and safe.
We may not be able to prevent every piece of litter, but that’s no reason not to take action.
In line with NSW state targets, Council has endorsed the following litter targets:
- 60% litter reduction by 2030
- 30% reduction in plastic litter by 2028
- Provision of infrastructure in the right locations with appropriate service to avoid litter
- Building community capacity and leadership to prevent litter
- 50% litter reduction by 2025 in the Cooks River Catchment
Progress against these targets is measured every year. In 2025, Council achieved Target 5 with a 76% decrease in litter from the 2018-19 baseline.
What can you do about litter?
- Use public place litter bins where available
- Take your rubbish with you if bins are not available or are full
- Ensure bins are not overflowing when you put them out for collection
- Avoid waste in the first place! Sit in at your favourite cafe or take a reusable coffee cup for takeaways
- When you see someone littering, report it to the EPA
- Contact Council when and where you spot litter, using the Snap, Send and Solve application
- Ensure enough bins are available for customer waste
- Place bins in visible, high traffic customer areas
- Ensure bins are not overflowing when put out for collection
- Host a corporate clean-up event through Clean Up Australia Day’s Event Register
Host your own clean-up event
Get involved and host your own clean-up event through the Clean Up Australia website — community groups can register all year round!
When you register, you’ll be covered by Clean Up Australia’s public liability insurance and receive a free Clean Up Kit.
Inner West residents or businesses hosting a registered clean-up event can also request waste collections if the event is in the council area.
Request a clean-up event waste collection
Got litter-related questions?
Email our Litter Prevention Officers at rethink.waste@innerwest.nsw.gov.au