Results

The Litter Index method was used to calculate the 2022-2023 results. The status has fluctuated from Poor to Fair over the last 5 years since reporting to LitterWatch started. After calculating the composition and density of litter around the Bay, the trend is currently Improving.

Data for this report has been sourced from LitterWatch Victoria. Surveys prior to the launch of LitterWatch in 2019 have been added to the system allowing us to calculate the status in 2017-18. Due to different numbers of surveys occurring across different years, a confidence assessment has been applied to the results to ensure that the reliability of the data is evaluated. Approximately 70% of LitterWatch surveys in the EMP catchment areas, occurred in the local government areas of City of Port Phillip, and Greater Geelong. Therefore, the results are more representative of those areas than other locations in and around Port Phillip Bay and the catchments.

Plastic currently accounts for 85% of the litter recorded. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) implemented a key method to target plastic; the single-use plastic bag ban which started in 2019 and data will be examined as part of future reporting for declines in plastic bag litter.

For a more detailed view on how these results were determined, please view the methodology section.

Explore more on the LitterWatch Portal

Data contributors and acknowledgements: