Effective Ways to get people to recycle/not litter?

Question

It really annoys me. I personally clean it up sometimes. There's trash everywhere. People are littering, and aren't recycling. There's a trash can right next to the recycling bin, and yet they still don't recycle a plastic bottle or paper. How do you get a High School students to recycle? The school already has recycling bins (for a contest) around the school, and yet people don't really recycle. Any way on how to promote this?

Answer 1

I also must agree with your comment, the vast majority of Americans ignore the best alternative to help the environment. For instance (and this does not imply to those who do recycle), high school students have so much more on their minds then to help with a simple green act to promote saving the planet that instead they go to the mall to hang out with friends.

I am a high school student, and I know first hand that it is hard to convince my peers to understand the part that they play in recycling; simple things such as newspapers and plastic bottles. At the beginning of the school year I promoted a recycling program for my school and after a month of waiting for a response from my principal, I finally recieved the "okay" and did as much as I could. I've tried countless times to pull my peers into volunteering to assist me and another student; when we collected and went to the recycling station to drop off the items. But all of our efforts have been in vain.

In all realization, high school students are not open to the effects of the landfills and what are contained in those facilities. As for myself, I've always been a recyling activist since middle school, and I've come to the conclusion that the only way for students to become involved is to create some sort of reward (like community service hours, prgorams where friends and family come together for fun). But even with recycling activities, high school students tend to veer off to the side and prefer not to participate because they "have better things to do".

Then again, maybe not, there are few highschools that have recycling programs open to students; as far as I am concerned that is. The only answer that I can honestly come up with on how to get high school students to recycle is that, to have students that recycle, they have to have a want to do it first.

Answer 2

beat them with sticks

Answer 3

I've noticed attitudes are different in the US than Canada.

American visitors to Toronto remark on how clean it is.

I think we're  more concerned about the environment.

The biggest producers of litter are fast food & soft-drinks.

People need to see paper, metal, & plastics as resources.

Answer 4

Quite Simple.... People are lazy. You can promote as green of a parade as you want.... it wont make much difference.

Make being green CONVINIENT. Make it simple and easy for people to gather the things you are trying to recycle. This will more than likely mean more work on your part but it is for the greater good! More collection points etc..  The other way is to reward for recycling....  People will flock if there is something in it for them besides tree hugging.  

I am afraid this is the way it is. Good luck!

Answer 5

We have to push the issue at the elementary school level - there needs to be an ecological class added to schools.  The younger the better - they can learn recycling habits that will stay with them forever (if reinforced at home!).  Parents of small children need to teach them about recycling at a young age - make it a habit.  Take them to the recycling center to drop off items.  We need to train the next generation starting NOW!  Even after teaching all of my kids to recycle at home, they haven't really followed the trend since they moved into their own homes.  I need to remind them of how they were raised.  A recycling bin for Christmas, maybe?

Maybe if the high school put a basketball hoop over the bins, had a 'recycling pep rally' bringing students outside to pick up the recyclable 'trash' and shoot hoops with it, they might pay more attention to what the bins are for.  Oh, and take the boys and girls out separately - have the pep rally during gym class to make that easy!

Awareness is difficult to promote, but teaching kids when they are young and building good habits is my best advice.

Good luck!