Just to the right of main entrance into grounds for secondary school
At the secondary school, about where I stand each morning for assembly
Burn pile on secondary school grounds
Before leaving the States last summer, our PC group met in Washington, DC, for orientation and quick introductions within the group. One ice breaker had us answer a list of questions about ourselves to compare with others’ lists. To the question, “What is your greatest pet peeve?”, I responded litter. If I had had a clue as to how much litter I would see on a daily basis in South Africa, I might not have ever gotten on the plane to come here.
The tendency to drop trash anywhere and everywhere by young and old is extremely prevalent. People often snack in public and will drop wrappers wherever they are standing/walking. Tossing trash out of car and taxi van windows happens all the time. Granted, public trash cans are either nonexistent or few and far between, but still a rather wimpy excuse for littering. Furthermore, people will still drop trash even when a trash bin is nearby, such as at the school or shopping area.
At the primary school where I work, kids will often be directed to pick up trash following the morning assembly. They are about 85% effective. When this happens at the secondary school (rarely), they are about 20% effective. In both cases, I’ve seen children work on trash-pickup-duty and less than 5 minutes later drop their own candy wrapper in the same area where they were just picking up trash! ARGH!
The SA Minister has been quoted as saying, “Usually a dysfunctional school is also a dirty school. Functionality starts with cleanliness.” Just have to figure out how to get these students and the local residents on board!
I share your pet peeve about litter. Your question about what to do about it reminded me of a news story about how the anti-litter campaigns have to be tailored to particular cultures, like in Texas. The typical “Don’t be a litter bug” effort was ineffective there, but what has turned out to be successful reflects the Texas tough-guy mentality. The slogan “Don’t mess with Texas” has made a measurable difference in roadside litter there.