Australia loves to recycle, but carbon a problem

By James Grubel

The worst drought in a century and concerns over global warming have prompted Australians to change their habits on recycling and water use, with 99 percent of homes recycling waste paper, plastic and glass, up from 91 percent a decade earlier.

"While Australia only accounts for around 1.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, its carbon dioxide emissions per person are relatively high," the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in its 2008 Year Book, released on Thursday.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Australia has been set a target of limiting greenhouse gas emissions to 108 percent of 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The government has consistently said the country is largely on track to meet the target.

But emissions had fallen 7 percent in the waste sector, and by about 75 percent in the land-use and forestry sector, due to the growth in carbon sinks and forests.

But, Australians recycle eight times more waste than in 1997.

(Editing by Katie Nguyen)

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