Clean Up week event led by junior students at Levin North School

Levin North School Junior syndicate celebrating a successful clean up at Western Park during Clean Up NZ Week. Photo / Levin North School

As with many activities planned for 2021, the country's largest clean-up event had to be postponed from its original date in September to the last week in October.

Levin North School adjusted their own clean-up plan accordingly and, on Thursday morning, 70 students from four junior classes headed off to Western Park to do their part to help Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Megan McKenzie, junior syndicate team leader, said this was the first time their school had participated in the KNZB event.

"Our [school's] local Waste Warriors, the Hazel boys, asked if we could be part of [the event]. We were happy to keep this initiative strong, with their voices leading it," she said.

The students walked down Kings Drive and returned to the school via Duke St, collecting rubbish on the way as well as at the park.

Junior students heading back to school after a successful clean up at Western Park. Photo / Levin North School

McKenzie said an activity like this is great learning for the children.

"Not only about the unattractiveness of rubbish, but what every small piece does to our environment, from the small insects, the birds using it in their nests, to the harm in our rivers and oceans."

The students utilised rubbish collecting equipment they already use at school for the clean-up event.

"We have a stack of buckets to collect rubbish from around our school, so we don't contribute to more waste by using plastic bags," said McKenzie, "Tongs are used so we don't add rubber gloves to the pile of rubbish."

Students utilised rubbish collecting equipment from school, such as buckets and tongs, for the clean up event. Photo / Levin North School

The school had great support from both local and national organisations for their activity, including Keep NZ Beautiful, Envirowaste, Waste Management and the Mars Wrigley Foundation.

Being part of the KNZB Clean-Up Week, the school also have free disposal of the rubbish they collected thanks to the Horowhenua District Council.

"We have a strong ethos of recycling at our school, with worm farms, composting, and paper recycling too," McKenzie said.