A high-tech litter experiment is giving Redland City Council a clear picture of how rubbish travels from local creeks to Moreton Bay — and where it gets trapped along the way.
The Litter Quest: Creek to Coast project has tracked GPS-enabled bottles through waterways, revealing how everyday litter can linger unseen before being flushed into the bay during heavy rain.
Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell said the project was already changing the way people think about litter.
“This innovative project, a first for Queensland, uses GPS-tracked bottles to visually demonstrate how litter moves through local waterways once it leaves a person’s hand,” the Mayor said.
“It makes the invisible journey of litter visible.”
Nine GPS-tracked bottles were released across Tingalpa, Eprapah and Hilliards creeks and into Moreton Bay, then monitored for 21 days before recovery.
In all three creeks, the bottles travelled up to about 500 metres downstream before becoming snagged in overhanging roots and vegetation along creek banks.
With low water flow, litter builds up in these hidden traps — until heavy rain dislodges it and sends it surging downstream and into the bay, where it threatens multiple aquatic ecosystems.
The bay releases showed just how unpredictable litter can be once it hits tidal waters.
Two bottles released at Redland Bay took very different paths. One drifted 4 kilometres before lodging in mangroves near Pannikin Island. The other travelled a winding 19.5 kilometres past Victoria Point, Coochiemudlo, Long Island and Garden Island — before also ending up stuck in mangroves.
The results highlighted the role mangroves play as natural litter filters and temporary collection points. But during storms or high tides, that debris can be swept back out to sea, spreading pollution even further and harming marine life.
Mayor Mitchell said the project aligned with Council’s Redlands Coast Bay and Creeks Action Plan 2021–2026.
“The results of the ongoing Litter Quest project will help Council better understand litter pathways and identify intervention points to reduce waste entering marine environments,” she said.
Environment Portfolio Representative Councillor Julie Talty said most marine litter starts on land.
“It is important to protect our bay and creeks, to not only support healthy ecosystems and many plants and animals, but also because our waterways feature in so many of our local recreation activities,” she said.
Residents are also being urged to play their part in protecting local waterways.
Top tips to stop litter at the source:
- Pick up rubbish to stop it entering the stormwater system, where it can threaten wildlife, human health and the economy.
- Wash cars on the grass so detergents, oil and grime don’t flow straight into drains and creeks.
- Rake up leaves and dirt around your home to reduce excess nutrients washing into waterways and affecting water quality.
More information and practical tips are available on Redland City Council’s website.
