Beautiful landscapes are littered with waste, carelessly left behind by humans traveling through them.

Australia is known for its beautiful, varied landscapes and grandness. I made a roadtrip of over 4,500 kilometers straight through the outback; from Adelaide, via Alice Springs, to Brisbane. Here, in addition to the beauty of this immense land, the pollution caused by man was striking. Wherever I stopped it was littered with waste; from plastic bottles to cans, from fast food wrappers to glass. In parts of the outback, fires had raged before, which is not surprising given the amount of litter.

Plastic does not decompose, it gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller plastic parts. All those pieces never decompose and are really everywhere: in water, soil and air. Cans are also polluting. Sometimes there is a thin layer of plastic on the inside. And the ink and coating of the can can be harmful to the environment. Glass in the burning sun can cause new forest fires to start.

How long does it take for this litter to decompose?
Cardboard drinking cup - Cardboard 2 to 5 months; plastic does not break down
Plastic bottles - Crumbles, but does not break down
Glass bottle - Does not decompose
Aluminum can - 50 years to never
Steel can - 1.5 to 500 years