Litter Intelligence

Litter Intelligence is a long-term programme run by Sustainable Coastlines in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation and Statistics New Zealand. It aims to create a grassroots solution to litter in New Zealand. A national litter database – a first in New Zealand – is being established to record not only litter but also to track trends. The goal is to be able to use this data to change local behaviour, seeing which measures are the most effective in reducing rubbish long term.

URL: litterintelligence.org

Reach: New Zealand, regional

Nature of science focus: Online citizen science (OCS) projects can be used to develop any of the Nature of Science (NoS) substrands. Identify aspects of NoS that your students need to further develop or understand more fully and then frame your unit to be very clear about these things when you do them.

Science capability focus: Gather and interpret data, Use evidence, Engage with science

Science focus: pollution, environmental science, plastics, properties of materials, sustainability

Some suggested science concepts:

• Litter can be grouped into different types based on its properties.
• Recycling codes and practices are based on the properties of the materials.
• We can recycle some kinds of rubbish more easily than others.
• Litter is harmful to the environment.

Many concepts could be learned – focusing on a few can often be more powerful. Develop your learning outcomes and success criteria from these concepts as well as the Nature of Science strand and the science capabilities.

Some examples of learning outcomes:

Students can:

• categorise a variety of different litter types based on their properties
• interpret visual representations of data relating to litter types collected
• explain about the source and major contributors of litter in their own area
• apply their knowledge to suggest a variety of strategies for getting rid of particular types of litter in their own area.

About The Litter Project

A 2018 World Bank report ranked New Zealanders as the tenth highest consumers of urban waste per capita in the world, producing over 3.6 kg of waste per person every day.

The Litter Intelligence Project was launched in May 2018 and is a long-term programme led by the charity Sustainable Coastlines aiming to create a grassroots solution to litter in New Zealand. This national litter monitoring programme is being run in collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment, Statistics New Zealand and the Department of Conservation. It is funded by the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

Sustainable Coastlines will lead the:

• roll out of a litter education curriculum for schools
• establishment of a national litter database
• scheme to bring these programmes to communities around New Zealand.

Collaboration is crucial. You could say that tangata whenua are New Zealand’s original Citizen Scientists. They have the baseline knowledge – mātauranga Māori – on how our coastlines should be; litter-free. Litter is a major threat to Aotearoa and we now need urgent and large-scale action.

Camden Howitt, Sustainable Coastlines co-founder

It is based on the United Nations Environment Programme marine debris survey methodology, which will enable an accurate picture of the litter problem in New Zealand to be developed. By working to a United Nations Environment Programme methodology, the data will be collected at the highest standard of scientific rigour, allowing it to be used for national, regional and international reporting, including progress against UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This kind of initiative is exactly what our planet needs – something simple but effective that can easily be adopted at grass-roots level to make a difference, empowering every community to keep their environment clean and make the world a better place for future generations.

Brad Smith, President, Microsoft

Sustainable Coastlines will work with community groups and organisations to conduct beach litter surveys at a minimum of 108 beach sites across Aotearoa, conducted at least 4 times each year for 3 years, starting in 2018. There is a phone app to enter the litter data, including litter categories, into a national database.

Training and the tools required will be provided to allow groups to take part as citizen scientists, conducting regular litter surveys at their selected local beach sites and loading the litter data into a new, easy-to-use nationwide litter citizen science platform/app developed specifically for the project. This platform includes a solutions database and some litter data visualisation tools. All the litter data collected is freely available to the groups involved as well as to the wider public and decision makers and is New Zealand’s first national litter database. Having long-term data will not only assist in proving the litter problem but will also help with prioritising solutions.

Technology plays a critical role in ensuring that data collected by citizen scientists is recognised as credible and useable to inform decision-making worldwide.

Camden Howitt, Sustainable Coastlines co-founder

The Sustainable Coastlines citizen science workshops provide an opportunity to learn more about the project, the data collection methodology, health and safety planning and the reporting requirements.

See the Education section on the Litter Intelligence website for information on how to make the most of this programme with your students. The programme is based on the inquiry cycle model developed by the Department of Conservation where the learner is at the centre of learning. The goal is for learners to form and develop an inquiry to investigate aspects of marine litter pollution and build a depth of understanding through questioning, thinking and research.