Schoolyard Litter

Karen Conroy-McCarthy

Steps of the PPA

Step 1: Define the Problem

Step 2: Gather Evidence

Step 3: What causes the problem?

Step 4: What is the existing policy for dealing with this problem?

Step 5: Develop Solutions

Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

Step 1: Define the Problem

The problem is there is too much litter in the schoolyard at PS37Q, NY.

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Step 2: Gather Evidence

Students at PS37Q created a tally chart of the type of litter found in the school yard on a given day.

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Count of bottles in the schoolyard 12

Count of paper trash 5

Count of candy wrappers 30

Other 7

Step 3: What causes this problem?

What causes school yard litter?

Behavioral and Attitudinal Factors

• "Mob Mentality" and Lack of Discipline: Peer behavior heavily dictates schoolyard actions. Research suggests that students are significantly more likely to drop trash if they see large groups leaving waste behind.
• Perception of the Problem: According to the Sanitation Foundation's 2025 NYC Litter Study, a majority of surveyed New Yorkers viewed litter as a massive problem, yet a sizable portion admitted to actively littering due to laziness or failing to respect the community.
• "Litter Blindness" in Urban Settings: Environmental psychologists have tracked that children in dense urban spaces like New York City tend to exhibit "litter blindness". They often fail to notice litter in concrete, heavily developed areas like a standard paved schoolyard, whereas they notice and actively despise it in natural settings like beaches or parks

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Step 3: What causes this problem?

What causes school yard litter?

Behavioral and Attitudinal Factors

• "Mob Mentality" and Lack of Discipline: Peer behavior heavily dictates schoolyard actions. Research suggests that students are significantly more likely to drop trash if they see large groups leaving waste behind.
• Perception of the Problem: According to the Sanitation Foundation's 2025 NYC Litter Study, a majority of surveyed New Yorkers viewed litter as a massive problem, yet a sizable portion admitted to actively littering due to laziness or failing to respect the community.
• "Litter Blindness" in Urban Settings: Environmental psychologists have tracked that children in dense urban spaces like New York City tend to exhibit "litter blindness". They often fail to notice litter in concrete, heavily developed areas like a standard paved schoolyard, whereas they notice and actively despise it in natural settings like beaches or parks

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Step 3: What causes this problem?

What causes school yard litter?

Infrastructure and Environmental Design

• The "30 Steps" Rule and Bin Distance: Based on historical human behavior metrics, individuals typically look to dispose of trash within about 30 steps of walking before dropping it on the ground. Schoolyards with poorly placed or scarce bins result in increased littering.
• Overflowing or Inaccessible Bins: In many community areas and parks, waste accumulates because bins are not monitored enough to handle dense foot traffic. When students observe overflowing bins or non-functional disposal sites, it creates a psychological cue that littering the area is the acceptable baseline.
• No Designated Eating Zones: Many NYC schools allow students to walk around freely or congregate in vast groups across the outdoor quad without specific, centralized dining benches. This movement scatters the accumulation of food wrappers across a wider area rather than a targeted cleanup point. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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Step 3: What causes this problem?

What causes school yard litter?

Food and Packaging Waste Demands

Disposable Service Materials: NYC public schools generate over 40,000 tons of waste annually. Massive quantities of single-use plastics and packaging items are dispensed daily with cafeteria lunches.

Massive Contamination in Sorting Systems: Although the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has deployed curbside composting to all NYC public schools, localized audits reveal massive contamination rates. At least 28% of compostable materials in schools are found to be heavily polluted with outside plastics and papers because kids struggle to sort properly, leading to trash overflows

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Visuals provided by the NYCDOE:

Step 4: What is the existing policy for this problem

School-Level Policies (Code of Conduct)

Most schools address littering directly in their student handbooks or codes of conduct. These policies typically include: [1, 2, 3]

• Designated Eating Areas: Many schools prohibit students from eating or drinking outside of the cafeteria or designated outdoor courtyard areas to contain waste.
• Student Accountability: Schools frequently utilize a "Litter Pledge" or contract that students sign promising to keep the campus clean.
• Disciplinary Action: Violations usually result in progressive discipline, ranging from verbal warnings and loss of courtyard privileges to detention.
• Community Service: A standard policy for students caught littering is mandatory campus cleanup duty or joining the school's "Green Team". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Step 4: What is the existing policy for this problem?

District and Municipal Policies

Beyond internal school rules, broader environmental and civic laws apply to school grounds:

• Civic Fines: Because schoolyards are public or government-owned properties, local police or code enforcement can issue standard municipal littering tickets to individuals (including adults or students of age) who dump trash on the property.
• District Green Initiatives: Many school districts mandate a written anti-litter policy as part of wider sustainability initiatives, requiring schools to conduct regular waste audits and clean-up patrols

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What are the advantages and disadvantages to current policy?

Signage Should be Posted:

Step 5: Develop Solutions

Types of Visual Policies in the NYCDOE that should be posted:

• Formal Signs: Standard metal signs placed at schoolyard gates or playgrounds.These establish the official rules and potential fines for students or public visitors.
• Classroom & Hallway Posters: Educational illustrations are utilized inside buildings to remind younger students of the daily rules.
• Infographics: Schools use digital flyers and instructional graphics to promote recycling programs or organize weekend community clean-up initiatives.

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Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

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Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

Increase fines if people pollute.

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Effectiveness

Feasibility

Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

Tell students that they cannot pollute.

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Effectiveness

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Feasibility

Step 6: Select best solution based on effectiveness and feasibility

Educate students and post signage throughout the inside and outside of the school environment.

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Effectiveness

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Feasibility