Litter

The Litter topic helps raise awareness about the environmental impact of litter and encourages schools to take action. Creating a school litter policy is essential to improve both school grounds and the local community.

Why It Matters in Schools

Litter is a common issue in schools and can:

Lead to complaints from locals
Discourage visitors
Affect student and staff morale
Be hazardous (e.g. broken glass)
Result in fines of up to £2,500 daily for schools

Even though most people know littering is wrong, research shows that children—especially over 12—often litter without guilt. They are more likely to dispose of rubbish properly when supervised.

Tip: Teens respond better to the word “rubbish” than “litter,” which can sound preachy.

Getting Started

Litter is a popular starting point for Eco-Schools because:

It’s highly visible and easily understood
Tackling it improves the school’s image
It involves the whole school community

Action Plan Ideas:

Raise awareness in classes and assemblies
Appoint litter monitors
Add or reposition bins in problem areas

Campaigns & Resources

Wrigley Litter Less Campaign: A global project promoting long-term litter reduction. Email eco-

schools@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org for info.

Big Spring Clean: Join the Big Spring Clean campaign

Important Note: Balloon & Lantern Releases

Balloon and Chinese lantern releases create long-lasting litter and harm wildlife. Balloons can be mistaken for food by marine animals, causing death, and strings can entangle birds.

Eco-Schools NI considers balloon releases a form of mass littering and they may risk your Green Flag status.