Created by the Rivers Trust and the group Preventing Plastic Pollution, the resources will help children to learn about why plastic pollution is a problem and how litter around the school can actually end up in the sea.
It includes “Citizen Science and Litter Pick” lesson plans and a presentation as well as guidance for running a litter-picking activity. The pack also includes a tally sheet for students to use.
Around 80 per cent of all marine litter comes from a land source and many items find their way to the ocean via rivers. Scientists are increasingly seeing the devastation plastic and microplastics have on the natural environment, and pollution in the oceans is now commonplace.
The Rivers Trust has developed an online open-source platform for schools around the country to submit their litter-picking data, which will help scientists to study plastic pollution trends.
By submitting their data on the platform, children will see their results appear in real time and see how their efforts are contributing to an international research project on preventing plastic pollution.