School children have picked up almost four tonnes of litter this year from Tauranga parks, reserves, streams and estuaries.
Fifteen-hundred pairs of little gloved hands picked up trash dumped carelessly by people around the city as part of a council programme involving 12 schools over 10 clean-up events.
The little armies of students, parents and teachers cleaned up areas such as Waikere Reserve in Papamoa, the Matua salt marsh, Sherwood Valley area, Memorial Park foreshore and Johnson Reserve.
Tauranga City Council pollution prevention officer Radleigh Cairns said the students saw first-hand how even the smallest bit of littering could accumulate.
"Last year, the first year of the Tauranga Stream and Estuary Clean-Up Programme, we collected almost four tonnes and this year it's going to be close again.
"Half a tonne of it is recyclable items," Mr Cairns said.
At the clean-up events, the students were shown whether plastics, paper and cardboard litter could be recycled.
We found an old Sony Walkman and all the kids crowded around asking 'what the hell is it?'
The idea was for students to see the effect of littering, tell their friends and family about it, passing that message on to those littering, and creating local responsibility, Mr Cairns said.
General litter like plastics and wrappers was picked up along with tyres, scrap metal, couches and electronics.
"We find a lot of stuff people find difficult to get rid of like TVs, tyres, bikes in various stages of disrepair, phones, laptops.
"We found an old Sony Walkman and all the kids crowded around asking 'what the hell is it?'
"It's stuff people think is easier to drive to a secluded spot and throw off the back of the ute," Mr Cairns said.
He said people could just have easily taken those items to the transfer station to dispose of properly.
Some of the areas in the programme were also regularly cleaned up by local environment groups.
This year 200kg of rubbish and recycling was collected in Mount Maunganui from Banks Avenue to Mauao, even after the Pilot Bay Coastcare Group worked hard to keep the area clean.
"To still get that much out of an area that is one of our showcase areas and well-maintained is amazing," Mr Cairns said.
Selwyn Ridge Primary School sent 100 five to nine-year-olds to help clean up Johnson Reserve and Waipuna Park on Tuesday.
They collected 210kg of rubbish and 15kg of recycling.
Principal Craig Price said the kids enjoyed tidying up and making a difference.
"It grows within our children the values that this is who we are and if we look after our resources then they will look after us," he said.
The school participated in last year's programme and would do it again next year.
"Though we don't need a special day to keep the environment tidy - we teach them any time, any place, pick up the litter and don't drop it yourself," Mr Price said.
Maungatapu Primary School cleaned up Rotary Park and the foreshore in November.
Years 3 and 4 teacher Judy Eagleson organised the children and said it was a great day out.
"It really reinforced looking after the environment. It was low tide and the children could see all the things that wash up from the sea."
Ms Eagleson said it was one thing to teach it in the classroom but when the kids could go out and really see the litter it "really brings the message home in a meaningful way".