Innovative ākonga tackle microplastics pollution from school to sea

Plastic pollution is a growing problem that threatens coastal and marine ecosystems worldwide, though it often goes unseen and unnoticed. To increase awareness of this issue, the Tread Lightly Charitable Trust teamed up with students from Point England, Reremoana, and Weymouth Primary Schools to investigate the question: “Does our school contribute to coastal pollution, and what can we students do about it?”

This innovative year-long project combined critical inquiry, hands-on experiments and citizen science to empower students to understand plastic pollution in a local context and explore ways to reduce it.

Investigating the waste problem at school

Students kicked off the project with a waste audit at their school. They collected litter items from the playground and sorted them into categories based on what type of material they were made of, like wood, rubber or plastic. This simple activity opened students and teachers’ eyes to the volume and types of litter (particularly plastic waste) being generated at the schools – one group collected over 500 pieces of litter from their school grounds in one session!

Participating schools also had a LittaTrap device installed in a stormwater drain, so they could regularly monitor the litter going into their drains. Students learnt how stormwater networks connect to local waterways and the sea and can carry litter into the marine environment, revealing the direct connection between their small personal actions and large environmental challenges.

Connecting to marine eco-systems

Each participating school “adopted” a park and coastline, which they committed to restoring. Connecting the learning from their school waste audits and applying it to their local coastline was a natural next step.

To conduct marine plastic monitoring, students were tasked with designing their own prototype filters which could be used to capture microplastics from water samples. Guided by Tread Lightly’s science educator Sam Badias, the students applied design thinking principles to create affordable, effective filters with materials they found around the house.

Sam shares that, “It was particularly rewarding to see the girls … really engage with creating their prototypes, as women are under-represented in STEM fields on the whole. They were thinking technologically, creatively — and all of the students were engaged throughout.”

Students used the filters to collect water samples at their local river or beach. They also conducted Marine Metre Squared surveys to measure microplastic pollution on the beach.

After collecting samples of microplastics, students were able to use simple experiments to determine what types of plastic were most prevalent.

They were supported by marine experts Dr Olga Pantos and Dr Sally Carson, who helped students with the experimental protocols and also explained how different types of plastics break down and their impact on marine ecology.

“Getting to use test tubes and tweezers made me feel like a real scientist.” – year 6 student

Sam adds that the "students really enjoyed learning directly from scientists who specifically research marine microplastics. They asked lots of questions and showed huge interest, not just on the research topic, but [also on] how the scientists ended up in their roles and why they chose that work."

Turning insights into actions

Through this investigation, students have gained a greater awareness of the plastic litter around their school and how it can end up on their local coastlines. One surprising example — students found fibres from their school’s playground turf at the beach reserve, over 300m away from the school. With a bit of prompting, they recognised what the fibre was and hypothesised about how it ended up buried in the sand in the reserve.

The students and schools are committed to turning their research findings into concrete actions to improve their school and coastal environments. Ideas include ways to raise awareness of the issue, reduce plastic consumption in school lunches, and improve waste management systems to minimise litter.

The success of this project has shown how big global problems can be tackled in local contexts. Citizen science projects present a fantastic opportunity for students to gain knowledge and confidence in STEM skills while fostering a sense of responsibility and agency to address environmental challenges.

Acknowledgements

This project was made possible with funding from the Curious Minds South Auckland Participatory Science Platform and supported by Te Hononga Akoranga COMET. Thanks also to our participating schools and teachers, and science partners Dr Olga Pantos and Dr Sally Carson.