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
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
Nacula Island, Fiji
The school children commit to spending 30 minutes each week to do a big clean up of their beach.
They count how much is collected.
They are taught that small as their community is, their action is important to help keep the earth free of plastic and protect life in the sea.
Australia: Carrum Primary School
Carrum, Victoria, Australia
Beach Patrol Clean Up
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)
Brunei, Southeast Asia
Student representatives from every level and from all 16 houses form an Enivronmental Eco Committee to lead the school community in sustainable environmental practice based on UNESCO’S Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
Students are encouraged by the committee to take part in community collaborations such as the Ocean Conservancy Internation Beach Clean.
Under the guidance form the Eco Committee, the students address the problem of single use plastic.
Vanuatu: Schools in Port Vila
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Schools in Port Vila, Vanuatu participate in the Clean Up the World Campaign
In Vanuatu, 600 volunteers participated in a big clean-up event in downtown Port Vila, using clean-up bags provided by DFAT and the Vanuatu Tourism Office.
An environmental awareness program in schools around Port Vila was a great success, with the Wan Smol Bag (one small bag) and Live & Learn events teaching children about the effects of littering on the environment.
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.