Australia is in a recycling crisis. Here's how you can reduce your footprint.

Kerbside recycling from dozens of Victorian councils is set to go straight to landfill, after a major recycling company announced it would stop accepting materials. It's the latest development in an escalating recycling crisis causing trouble around Australia.

The government will work with affected councils to "ensure the least possible disruption to residents during this period". Source: AFP

Last year, China announced it would stop importing waste from other countries. Specifically, citing concerns about contamination and pollution, it said it would no longer buy recyclables that weren't 99.5 per cent pure.

After China's crackdown, the likes of the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand imported more recyclables to fill the gap.

But since then, each of those nations has wound back, or declared their intention to wind back, imports.

That's causing the Australian recycling system to come under unprecedented pressure.  It's also led to SKM, a Victorian recycling company processing around half the state's kerbside recyclables, to stop accepting materials.

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