Page 27 - Litter Toolkit

4.7

Fast food

Fast food includes all food and drinks that are Fast food litter tends to be difficult to recycle, either The Eco-Committee has reported the problem has
prepared and served quickly, and sold to be consumed because the packaging is made from more than been eradicated due to the zero-tolerance policy and
immediately – generally on the move, either walking one material, or because it is contaminated by food the fun campaign alongside it.
or in a vehicle. Fast food litter includes any food residues. Some items of fast food packaging, such as
that is left, it’s packaging, including polystyrene and ‘clam shells’ and cups are made from foam polystyrene Similarly, Y Pant School in Rhondda Cynon Taf had the
cardboard containers, paper wrappers, plastic film, which is not widely recycled and is lightweight which same pizza box problem and after consultation with
cutlery, drinks cups/lids and straws. Examples include makes it easily transported by wind and water. It the canteen staff banished boxes altogether. Result!
fish and chips, pizzas, burgers, wrapped sandwiches also breaks down into small pieces making it hard to
and take away coffees. clean, and, like most fast food litter, it stays in the At Bryn Celynog Comprehensive School in Rhondda
environment for a long time. Cynon Taf, a hotspot clean-up after lunch collected
People across Wales have identified fast food 50 items of fast food litter and 24 bottles and cans in a
packaging as the type of litter which has the most Fast food packaging is very popular among children small area of their school grounds.
negative impact on the look and feel of an area. In and young people, which makes this an especially
2016-17, Keep Wakes Tidy’s Street Cleanliness Surveys relevant and important issue for schools to tackle.
showed that fast food litter was present on an average
of 18.1% of our streets. Fast food cups were present on School example
5.9% of streets.
Llantwit Major School sells pizzas from the canteen.
Fast food litter is a serious issue. It attracts rats, which The Eco-Committee realised that the pizza box
is a threat to health as they can carry harmful diseases. containers had turned into a litter problem for the
Pigeons, gulls and other birds are also becoming a school after counting 45 boxes in the school grounds
problem as a result of discarded fast food and there in one day alone. They decided to act and came up with
have been reports of them attacking people for food. actions to try to solve the problem, including: a video
and song called ‘What did the box say?’; naming and
Gulls often turn up in school grounds, especially shaming by writing names on the boxes at the time of
around break times when there tends to be a lot of purchase; year group assemblies; information given
food waste present which hasn’t been disposed of out at form tutor time; and a ban on taking boxes out
correctly; although gulls are also known to take food of the canteen area.
from our bins. continued over...