Australia’s recycling practices are facing criticism as a 60 Minutes investigation uncovers the export of plastic waste to Southeast Asia, raising environmental concerns.

There is no doubt Australia is one of the most wasteful nations in the world, so the practice of recycling helps to lessen our guilt. As we drag our bins out for collection each week, we feel like we’re helping the environment. But the reality is that we’re all being conned.

Currently, Australia is facing an unsightly and worsening recycling crisis. The handling of plastic waste, the material most people believe would be easy to salvage and reuse, is of the most significant concern. As Liam Bartlett discovers, most of it ends up being either buried or, worse, exported to countries like Malaysia, a place we are now treating like a garbage bin.