Waterford students urged to 'bin it' as Gum Litter Taskforce visits local schools

Students from a number of schools in County Waterford were among those to participate in the latest Bin It! Roadshow which is being led by the Gum Litter Taskforce.

The initiative aims to drive positive behavioural change around attitudes to gum litter amongst students in Waterford and across the country.

Throughout the Waterford stop, students from St Declan's NS and Ardscoil na nDéise Dungarvan took part in the hour-long workshop, where they learned more about correct litter disposal and the important role they can play in caring for the environment. 

The Bin It! Roadshow is an integral part of the Gum Litter Taskforce’s gum litter education campaign, which uses fun actor-led workshops and interactive learning materials to promote the responsible disposal of gum litter to schoolchildren. 

Young people are increasingly eco-conscious, however even among this demographic, some 14% continue to litter their gum. Across all age groups, males are found to litter more than females. 

Research has shown that lifestyle patterns and habit formation begin at an early age, with schoolchildren thought to be most be susceptible to social influence from ages 11 to 14 years of age*, meaning the Roadshow plays a key role in developing proper litter disposal habits.

Over the eight-week roadshow, the Gum Litter Taskforce’s Bin It! education programme will travel across 25 counties and deliver a total of 78 performances across 68 schools, both primary and secondary. 

For schools not registered for this year’s Bin It! Roadshow, the Gum Litter Taskforce will also continue to provide useful lesson plan material on its website, with materials made available to almost 730 schools across Ireland to date.

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Commenting on the initiative, Avril Donlon, Chair of the Gum Litter Taskforce said: “We are looking forward to the continued success of the roadshow and engaging with young people across Ireland to highlight the environmental impacts of littering in a positive and interactive way. We are delighted with the expansion of schools year on year, with a record 78 performances planned for this year. The continued success and demand for the tour is a great indication of the value add of the programme, and a credit to the Bin It! team for creating such an engaging and informative performance about gum litter.” 

Anne Sheeran, Corporate Affairs Specialist at Mars Ireland, added: “The Bin It! Roadshow is an exciting and extremely important part of the Gum Litter Taskforce campaign, given its focus on young people. We are delighted to be visiting 25 counties and reaching nearly 8,000 students this year. The Bin It! Education Programme provides us with a great opportunity to target that small cohort of young people who continue to litter gum and we are looking forward to seeing this year’s results.”

The GLT education campaign is fully funded by Mars Wrigley, and free for all participating schools. The campaign also includes a roadshow that travels throughout the country in the summer months promoting responsible gum behaviours with the help of local authorities, TV and online advertising campaign, as well as an accompanying website.