In June and July, young people from secondary schools across the UK are participating in an interactive programme designed to raise awareness of the impact of litter on their local environment. The Bin It! Schools Programme, an actor-led presentation, will visit schools in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales this summer, educating pupils on the correct way to dispose of their chewing gum and other litter.
The Bin It! Schools Programme was developed by the Wrigley Company in conjunction with specialist education consultancy EdComs, and is tailored for students aged 11-13 years. The programme aims to help young people develop a sense of personal responsibility and to reflect on the impact of their behaviour, such as the costs of removing dropped chewing gum and its impact on the environment.
The actor-led presentation programme is supported by a free educational resource pack consisting of teachers’
notes, resource and activity cards, posters and an interactive website.
Resource packs are available to all secondary schools across the UK all year round, and are designed to be taught through citizenship classes, personal, social and health education and English. This is the third year the Bin It! Schools Programme has been available to schools. The resource has been accredited by the Institute for Citizenship.
In a survey of schools that took part in the programme in 2006, teachers found that 41% of pupils thought about gum disposal more after having a lesson using the resource pack; 32% of pupils claimed they did Bin It! more often after taking part in the lesson.
An interactive website, www.chewitbinit.com, accompanies the programme, featuring facts about chewing gum, a teacher’s area, and games and quizzes to encourage responsible chewing gum disposal amongst young people.
Alexandra MacHutchon, communications manager at Wrigley UK & ROI, said:
"Following the success of the 2006 and
2007 Bin it! Schools Programmes, we want to continue to build on the momentum of the education resource. The Wrigley Company believes it is important to help young people understand the responsibility they have towards helping to keep their local areas clean and free from litter and teaching young people about the correct disposal of all litter, including chewing gum, from an early age is something that we have been committed to for a number of years."