Quick Clean-Up Activities
Ideas for getting started:
- Ask students to pick up x pieces of plastic every day.
- Game: how much rubbish can students pick up in 30min?
- Set up competitions for the “The Cleanest and Greenest” (suggestion for title) class or individual student.
- Rubbish bin design contest
- Clean ups can be done in other places besides school. Students can organize themselves to do regular clean ups in streets, parks, beaches and at home. The waste they collect can be sorted and recycled.
- Spread the word about clean ups and progress made via newsletters, assemblies, videos, social media.
School notice board with photos showing initiatives undertaken by students. Examples are
- before and after photos of areas that have been cleaned up
- before and after photos of outdoor areas transformed (eg. turned into garden)
- pictures of sorting bins, recycled objects made from waste found at school. Students can decorate these to be eye catching and colourful. pictures of alternatives to plastics or wrappers such as reusable food containers, bottles, cutlery
- Photos of progression of food scraps turning into composted soil
Link to stories that teach about sustainability:
(Quick Clean-Up Activities)
School Level: Primary
Other Ideas: Aim to have a school environment where there is no need for ‘quick clean ups’.
The Mess That We Made
By Michelle Lord
This story can be used to teach about the impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life.
Topic: Ocean pollution, Marine life
Walk of the Whales
By Nick Bland
This story can be used to teach students about ocean pollution.
Topic: Waste, Oceans
Benny Bungarra’s Big Bush Clean Up
By Miah Madden
This story can be used to teach students about plastic pollution.
Topic: Waste
Examples of whole school approaches around the world
The following list of schools features examples of sustainability practices which are part of school programs around the world.
Generally, these schools aim to achieve a Whole School Approach; the school community integrating sustainability into their daily programs and school life.
These examples highlight some of the outstanding but achievable practices. Projects do not have to be on a large scale to be effective.
Fiji: Navotua Infants Primary School
The school children commit to spending 30 minutes each week to do a big clean up of their beach.
Australia: Carrum Primary School
Working with the local Carrum Beach Patrol clean up group, the students are responsible for keeping sections of the beach and river rubbish free.
Brunei: Jerudong International School (JIS)
Students are encouraged by the committee to take part in community collaborations such as the Ocean Conservancy Internation Beach Clean.
Vanuatu: Schools in Port Vila
Schools in Port Vila, Vanuatu participate in the Clean Up the World Campaign.