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Litter

LitterLitter is a form of environmental pollution that is very easy to see around us. We sometimes see it on the roadside, in the school playground or in the park. It is anything that is put where it is not meant to be, like a chocolate bar wrapper left on the ground in the shopping centre. Litter is chip packets and drink bottles left on the ground. It is an apple thrown out of the car window, a load that has not been secured properly on the back of a trailer, and the grass clippings that you sweep into the gutter.

Litter can look ugly and can cause harm to things around us. People can get cut on glass and metal. It is also dangerous to wildlife that can be poisoned, choked or strangled. It encourages pest animals such as rats, mice and seagulls as well as the spread of germs.

We can often see unsightly collections of plastic bags and wrappers in the branches of trees and shrubs along our urban creeks after heavy rains. All that litter becomes highly visible when deposited by flood waters in the higher branches.

How can you help?

Often people are worried about environmental issues, but do not feel like they can do much to help. There are many ways people can take action on issues. We can all take part, and we must work together to reduce the amount of litter around us.

Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odour (smells) in harmful amounts.

More about what you can do to help

What is stormwater litter?

The stormwater system is designed to take rainwater from our guttering and streets into the closest waterway. Litter that is carelessly dropped on our streets is often washed into the stormwater system and ends up on our beaches and in our rivers.

More about stormwater litter

Litter around the school

An activity that looks at school grounds and think about what we can do to keep them litter free.

More about litter around the school

Litter quiz

Try the litter quiz and find out how much you know about litter.

Go to the litter quiz

Litter word search

Find the litter related words in this word search puzzle.

Go to the litter word search

Reporting pollution

Report someone throwing litter from a car. More »