Schools, colleges and universities are busy places but unlike other institutions and workplaces they contain some of the most messy people on earth - the teenager. And while those of you that work in the educational sector are privileged to work with the fresh minds of tomorrow, there is no denying that there is nothing better at making an area untidy than a gaggle of teenagers.

Keeping the playground, college canteen or university campus clean and tidy is a perennial headache for every school janitor or college cleaner. Headmasters and deans are also forced to pay large contractors to annually remove rubbish and have to supply enough bins and rubbish facilities to ensure the environment is kept litter free.

Unfortunately, too much concern and money goes into the disposal of the rubbish that is accumulating than ensuring that the school, college or university is not littered in the first place. Encouraging pupils and students to throw less away is perhaps an uphill struggle although providing recycling bins will often go some way into encouraging them.

However, you can ensure all litter goes in the waste bins and not the floor. The answer often lies in the humble college or school litter bin itself, and encouraging people to use them is actually quite easy if you consider three points:

a) You have the correct sized bins for the location

b) The bins are in the right place

c) There are enough of them

Actually, most people - teenagers included - want to dispose of their rubbish responsibly but the problem often lies in the points above. If the bins are too small you will find people still use them but the bin will eventually be hidden and surrounded by litter. Where the bin is ,will often decide the size, smaller bins may be okay for quiet corridors but the canteen will need a large waste bin.

Ensuring the bins are in the correct place is also important. A bin hidden around a corner will stay empty, while if you fail to place a litter bin near the vending machines you are just asking for trouble.

Perhaps the most fundamental problem with bins for schools, colleges and universities is that there is often not enough of them. People, especially teenagers, will walk a few yards to dispose of their rubbish but very few will go up two flights of stairs and down a corridor.