In Kwinana, Western Australia, mesh nets fitted to stormwater outlets have helped stop litter and debris from entering local parks and reserves.
The city installed its first two nets at Henley Reserve in March 2018. Three more followed during the 2019–20 financial year.
By August 2023, the five nets had collected a combined 3,660.5 kilograms of material, including drink bottles, food wrappers, cans and organic debris.
The system lets water pass through while catching larger waste carried through the drains. Regular maintenance keeps it working: crews remove the nets, weigh and inspect their contents, then take the collected material to a waste management facility for processing.
The city reported cleaning the nets fortnightly during wetter months and monthly from spring through autumn.
Their success shows what a practical idea, placed in the right location and properly maintained, can achieve.
A simple barrier. Thousands of kilograms collected. Less litter reaching the surrounding environment.
Source: City of Kwinana, August 4, 2023.