Student Worksheet

Thought-starters: What is the most common type of litter in Australia? What type of litter is common at your school?

Litter Identification key - Use this key to identify the types of litter you find in your allocated area. If you are working from a printed copy of the worksheet you can also add the actual symbol you will use to the relevant column.

Mapping the litter in our school - Area record sheet

Team members:

Date: Time of day:

Recent weather conditions: (e.g. windy)

Section name and location:

Your section - Once all the litter counts for your area have been added to the record sheet, answer the following questions:

1. What was the total number of items of litter in your mapped area?

2. What were the three most common litter items? What do you think are some reasons for this?

i.

ii.

iii.

3. Where was the litter densest in your section? Why do you think this is so?

4. What percentage of all the pieces of litter could be recycled?

5. What percentage of all the pieces of litter could be composted?

6. What percentage of all the pieces of litter should be placed in the rubbish bins?

Whole school litter totals

Whole school - Once all the litter mapping results for the whole school have been collated, answer the following questions:

1. What was the total number of items of litter in the school grounds and courtyards?

2. Which area had the greatest number of litter items?

3. What were the three most common litter items overall? What do you think are some reasons for this?

i.

ii.

iii.

4. What percentage of all the pieces of litter could be recycled?

5. What percentage of all the pieces of litter could be composted?

6. What percentage of all the pieces of litter should be placed in the rubbish bins?

Reflection questions

Mapping and measuring the current amount and types of litter in the school grounds provides the baseline data against which litter reduction efforts can be measured.

1. Why do you think there is so much litter in certain areas of the school grounds? What is it about these areas that creates litter (e.g. are there bins nearby that are often overflowing, does the wind blow loose bits of litter to this part of the school yard, can animals get into the bins, was a community events recently held at/adjoining the school)? How could the time of day affect the amount of litter found (e.g. before/after lunch?

2. What impact does litter in the school courtyards/grounds have on you and your friends? How does it make you feel about using that area? What impact do you think that this litter has on visitors to the school? What impact do you think that this litter has on wildlife and pets living in or near the school?

3. What do you think should be done to reduce the litter at your school? Are some types of litter or locations more important to target for action than others? What specific actions do you suggest be included in a litter reduction plan for the school?

AuSSI Litter Audit (Secondary)

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