Bin It! goes from strength to strength

Following four years of success in educating young people on good gum disposal, the Bin it! Schools’ Programme is again preparing to tour the UK and Ireland to tackle anti-social littering amongst this crucial age group.

Four years after it was launched, the Bin It! Schools’ Programme has so far reached 14,000 pupils in over 2400 secondary schools across the UK. Over 4000 Bin It! resource packs have now been requested, helping to educate young people on the impact of gum litter, and to make them more aware of the local environment around them such as their school, high street and local park.

Specifically designed for 11-13 year olds, the resource has been hugely successful in raising awareness around the important issue of litter, with 50% of pupils claiming to have disposed of their gum more responsibly having taken part in the lesson, and 58% of pupils thinking more about disposal.

Developed by The Wrigley Company, in partnership with specialist education consultancy Edcoms, the programme incorporates a team of actors who visit schools to encourage greater awareness of the environment and educate young people about responsible litter disposal. Bin It! has also been nominated at this year’s IVCA Clarion Awards for Best Live Event and Best Printed Materials reflecting the impact that the programme has had in educating young people.

Schools are also provided with a resource pack that includes teachers’ notes, resource cards, activity cards and colour posters. The resource packs are available to all secondary schools and have been designed to fit in with PSHE Citizenship lesson. There is also a website that can be accessed for further information and resources. It can be found at www.chewitbinit.com.

Alexandra MacHutchon, Corporate Affairs, Wrigley UK & ROI said: “This is the fourth year that the Bin It! Schools’ Programme has been made available to schools in the UK and the programme has now reached over 2500 schools. We believe that the issue of gum litter can only be tackled by engaging with young people at an early age and educating them about responsible behaviour. The Wrigley Company is committed to helping young people think about the consequences of anti-social behaviour, like littering, and to think more about their own responsibility in looking after their communities and the environment in which they live.”

2009 will see the Bin It! tour visiting secondary schools in five regions across the UK, helping young people develop a sense of personal responsibility and allowing them to see the impact of harmful behaviour, such as the consequences of dropping chewing gum.