We want New South Wales to be a clean and healthy environment that we can all enjoy, and ensure communities are empowered to achieve litter-free environments, within a circular economy.
Litter is anything unwanted that has been thrown, blown or left in the wrong place. Common litter items are takeaway and beverage items, confectionery and snacks, drink containers (plastic and metal), cigarette butts, small pieces of paper, bottle caps, plastic straws, and pieces of glass bottles. Litter also includes advertising and promotional material left in the wrong place.
Cleaning up this waste is expensive and takes up valuable time and resources that can be spent on other community needs.
We work with local councils, community groups, businesses, state agencies and other partners to target the most-littered items and locations. We do this by providing funding for better bins and litter clean ups, education and awareness campaigns and enforcement to hold litterers to account.
NSW Litter Prevention Strategy
The framework we use (and everyone can use) to prioritise funding and action to reduce litter and achieve our objectives.
Report littering
Roadsides are the number one littered location in NSW. You have the power to report littering from a vehicle.
Report litter at Report to EPA.
Don't be a Tosser!
Take an interactive journey to discover how rubbish is impacting you and the shocking reality of the consequences to the environment.
Funding for litter prevention
EPA funding helps local councils, community groups and other key stakeholders to target our most-littered items and locations.
Find out what funding opportunities are available
Litter resources
Resources to help councils, land managers and local communities understand their litter problem and develop litter prevention projects and campaigns.
Litter research
Research to help us understand impacts of litter, design evidence-based interventions, and ensure NSW's litter laws and prevention strategies protect the community and the environment.
Targeted programs
Targeted programs to deal specifically with certain items, practices and pathways that lead to the dispersal of litter into the wider environment.
Litter data and targets
Find out about the composition of litter in NSW and how NSW is tracking towards our litter targets.