Respect Assembly Showing respect to our school environment. Article 24 – Every child has the right to a clean environment.

What is litter? Litter can be described as ‘rubbish that is in the wrong place’ and can be anything from a cigarette butt to a burnt out car. It can be food, chewing gum, syringes, crisp packets, plastic bags and banana skins – in fact, any item left by a person that should not be there.

why do people litter? They can’t be bothered or are too lazy to find a bin They have no sense of pride in their community There is a lack of education / poor parenting of young people If an area is already dirty, why bother to look for a bin? People don’t appreciate the consequences of littering  We live in throwaway society with a ‘snack culture’ and too much packaging It’s not cool to use a bin There aren’t enough bins The bins are in the wrong place The bins aren’t emptied often enough The bins aren’t big enough The bins are dirty One person can’t make a difference It’s rebellious and anti-authoritarian to litter (is it?) Everybody does it! There are much worse things in the world to worry about than litter . Litter keeps someone in a job It’s OK to litter if no one can see you!

How long does it stick around? Up to two years to rot away Up to 10 years to rot away Between 10 and 20 years and will slowly break up into small pieces, but even these never really go away Will NEVER EVER rot away Will NEVER EVER rot away

Litter harms wildlife Young fox with its head trapped inside a rusty drinks can. RSPCA

Litter harms birds Baby birds eat litter because they don’t know what is safe. This bird died from eating a piece of chewing gum.

Guillemot strangled by the plastic rings from a drinks multi-pack. RSPCA

Hedgehogs have a particular problem in that while they can crawl into cans, their spines prevent them reversing out again

Foxes use our playground at night. Litter can harm them too.

This fox has injured himself by becoming stuck in a can.

Seagulls and pigeons are attracted by food litter

Litter makes our school look untidy. It is our responsibility to keep our playground tidy. It shows respect for ourselves, our friends and our school.

What can we do? REDUCE, REUSE, Recycle Put your rubbish in the bin or take it home Go plastic bag free

Remember to put your litter in the bin at playtimes and lunchtimes.

It keeps us (and the animals) safe and happy  Using the litter pickers helps us to create a clean environment for us to play. It keeps us (and the animals) safe and happy 

Article 24 – Everyone has the right to a clean environment. It’s Our Playground! Article 24 – Everyone has the right to a clean environment.