Litter Ninjas go global to beat rubbish

A FLEMINGTON ninja pact to keep residential streets free of litter has gone global.

Flemington Litter Ninja sensei Kath Lockett says she has been contacted by residents as far as the UK who have heard about the litter ninja concept and want to start their own clans.

These included two women in Katherine in the Northern Territory, a man from the United Kingdom, and a Brisbane bus driver who planned to instil the “trash free” message on her bus.

The Litter Ninja concept was started in Flemington this year and involves 36 ninjas who made a pledge to clear their local streets of rubbish at least once a week.

The campaign is supported by the Moonee Valley Leader.

A six-month audit of more than 10,000 items collected by Lockett reveals that 16.7 per cent of Flemington street litter is junk mail, while 15.3 per cent is discarded McDonald’s wrappers.

Another 15.3 per cent of items are empty cans and bottles, while 12.4 per cent are paper napkins and tissues.

Three per cent of street litter is newspapers.