At St Monica’s College, we conducted a Litter Investigation Audit and completed a report about our litter and how our actions affect our environment.

Over 2 days, we picked up 2,377 pieces of rubbish along the Darebin Creek. Amongst the rubbish was 769 chip wrappers and 125 ziplock bags that have been blown into the creek from our school.

During our litter investigation, we did a bin audit. We also put new signs on each bin which tells you what should go into the recycling bins and general waste bins.

As part of this audit, we also looked at how rubbish affects our waterways, especially the Darebin Creek. The Darebin Creek leads into Port Phillip Bay, and if our rubbish enters the creek it will go out into the ocean. This litter not only affects the quality of our water but also the animals in the ocean. Litter affects animals in many ways, with the two main causes of death being starvation and suffocation. If animals eat litter, their stomachs get full of plastic and can die. Also, animals often get trapped in litter and suffocate or drown.

To prevent our rubbish from blowing into Darebin Creek, and the ocean, we plan to do the following:
1. Put litter into the bins provided around our school
2. Bring a litter free lunch, such as a container for sandwich and snacks
3. Reuse and refill our drink bottles so that we’re not always buying water bottles