Locally, however, the news is much more positive.

Compared to other states, Tasmania is excelling at reducing, reusing, and recycling waste - particularly in the Northern region.

"As Tasmanians, we're pretty good. We're the best in the country. We're just over a tonne of rubbish per person each year," City of Launceston waste management officer Michael Attard said.

Over the past 12 months, the Northern Waste Management Group has successfully introduced a food and organics waste collection service (FOGO).

The collected food waste is heaped together for a composting process.

"It takes 12 weeks to get to the end where we then have a compostable product," said Mr Attard.

The food waste, which would otherwise go to landfill, is used on local parks and nature reserves.

The council anticipated that 10 per cent of households would take up the option of FOGO collection over the course of the first year, but the actual figure was around 23 per cent.

The council hopes to encourage other councils in Northern Tasmania to take up the FOGO program, and are negotiating with other municipalities to compost their food waste.

In terms of recycling, the Launceston Waste Centre (LWC) is doing more than most people realise.

Polystyrene is being compacted and sold to manufacturers of products such as pallets, effectively turning a single-use item into a long-life one.

E-waste is sent away where it is picked apart and up to 98 per cent is salvaged.

Unwanted but reusable items are sold at the UPTIPITY Recycling Shop.

All of these things would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

Materials like paper, cardboard and cartons are collected in kerbside recycling programs.

While they aren't currently dealt with on site, they are baled together and sent off to be recycled.

Some recyclable plastics are sent to recycling facilities such as REPLAST where they are sorted and turned into pellets.

These pellets are then recycled into items such as eco-decking.

The LWC tracks where the recycling goes and what it will be turned into via reports from contractors.

In 2018, it cost about $60 to recycle one tonne of rubbish.

In 2019 it costs around $200 more per tonne.

Mr Attard believes investing in the machines and equipment needed for more effective processing is an essential part of building a sustainable waste management program.

"Now that people have the awareness of waste, it's no longer in the bin," Mr Attard said.

With new sustainability projects on the way, including a new state of the art recycling facility which will enable local processing, it's heartening to know that Launceston is taking positive steps towards a greener and more environmentally friendly future.