Bin Day Rebellion!
Elm Street's recycling has gone on strike! A rubbish-ly funny play about caring for our planet.
A bright, noisy, gloriously silly play for Years 2 and 3 with a big heart and an important message: the planet needs us to take care of our rubbish. Short, punchy lines, plenty of group speaking and slapstick children adore.
Print-ready PDF (37 pages) · Instant download from The Teacher Vault store on Gumroad
Synopsis
Scene 1 – Bin Day on Elm Street
On Elm Street nobody sorts anything. Barry the bin lorry driver finds the recycling a sticky, muddled mess and refuses to take it. "Sort it out!"
Scene 2 – Midnight in the Bins
At midnight the rubbish wakes up, and it is not happy. Crisp Packet calls a strike, and the legendary Banana Skin leaps from the food caddy to join the cause.
Scene 3 – The Great Elm Street Strike
Next morning the recyclables form a picket line, complete with placards. "We've always talked. You've just never listened." Jam Jar reads out the demands on a very long scroll.
Scene 4 – Which Bin?
A game show teaches the children (and the audience) to rinse, squash and sort, and Crisp Packet learns a surprising truth about himself. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Scene 5 – Bin Day (Again)
One week later Elm Street is sorted, Barry awards the Golden Wheelie Bin, and the whole cast marches out to "When the Bins Go Marching In".
What's Included
- Teacher's introduction and a note on recycling rules
- Synopsis
- Themes, curriculum links, discussion questions and follow-up activities
- Character backstories
- Cast list & casting guide with line counts
- The full script (5 scenes)
- Photocopiable song lyric sheets
- Costume ideas, props, staging & sound effects
- Rehearsal planner
The Songs
- It's Bin Day! (stomp-clap chant)
- We Won't Be Binned! (tune: The Grand Old Duke of York)
- The Banana Skin's Lament (tune: Oh My Darling, Clementine)
- When the Bins Go Marching In (tune: When the Saints Go Marching In)
5 scenes. All characters, story, dialogue and lyrics are original, written in British English.
Themes & Curriculum Links
PSHE
Living in the wider world: looking after the environment and belonging to a community. Relationships: listening, working cooperatively and resolving disagreements.
English: spoken language & drama
Performances and role play; speaking audibly and fluently; preparing play scripts to read aloud and perform.
Science
Year 1 and Year 2 everyday materials (glass, plastic, metal, paper and card; squashing and bending), and Year 3 Plants (compost and soil).
Geography
KS1 fieldwork and the local area; KS2 human geography, including how waste is managed.
Characters
- Crisp Packet (lead) – Big voice, loves a speech, and calls the strike.
- Banana Skin (lead) – "Defender of the Dumped!" Physical comedy and a solo song.
- Jam Jar – Posh voice; reads the very long scroll of demands.
- Ollie, Zara, Priya, Finn & Maisie – The Elm Street children. Ollie is the game-show contestant.
- Narrators 1–4 – Narrator 1 also hosts the Which Bin? game show.
- Mrs Pickles & Barry – The grumpy neighbour who keeps slipping, and the bin lorry driver.
- The bins and recyclables – Black Bin, Blue Bin, Food Caddy, Cereal Box, Milk Bottle, Tin Can, Newspaper, Yoghurt Pot, Egg Box and Apple Core.
- Groups – Seagulls, the Bin Lorry (4–6 children), Elm Street Kids and the Rubbish Chorus.
There are 24 named speaking roles plus four flexible groups, so it scales easily from 20 to 30+ children. The cast table gives every role's exact line and word count so you can match big parts to confident readers.
Script Sample: The Opening Scene
Here's how the play begins, so you can get a feel for the length of the lines and the humour.
Elm Street, early on a Monday morning. Three wheelie bins stand at one side of the stage: a BLUE BIN, a BLACK BIN and a small green FOOD CADDY. The four NARRATORS step forward.
NARRATOR 1Welcome to Elm Street!
NARRATOR 2It's a lovely street. It has lovely houses...
NARRATOR 3...lovely gardens...
NARRATOR 4...and some very, VERY unlovely bins.
BLACK BIN lets out a long, sad groan.
BLACK BINUuuuurgh.
NARRATOR 1Today is Monday.
NARRATOR 2And on Elm Street, Monday means just one thing...
ALL NARRATORSBIN DAY!
Sample from Scene 1. The full script, songs and teacher notes are in the pack.
Common Questions
How many children can take part?
There are 24 named speaking roles plus four flexible groups, so it scales easily from 20 to 30+ children. The cast table gives every role's exact line and word count so you can match big parts to confident readers.
Do we need sheet music or backing tracks?
No. Every song is set to a well-known traditional tune or a simple chant, so a confident adult voice, a piano or a guitar is all you need. Photocopiable lyric sheets are included.
What format is the pack?
A print-ready PDF (37 pages), delivered instantly by Gumroad after purchase. Print as many copies as your school needs.
Our council uses different bin colours. Does that matter?
No. The play sticks to safe general advice (rinse it, squash it, put it in the right bin and check what your council says), and you are free to change bin colours and details to suit your area.
Is there a discount for buying more than one play?
Yes. The bundle of all five original School Plays is £29.99, instead of £49.95 for the five packs bought separately.
All 5 Original Plays Bundle — £29.99
Get all five of our original plays in one download: The Odd Sock, The Moon Who Was Scared of the Dark, Bin Day Rebellion!, Lost Property and Unit 7 Wants a Birthday. That's a play for every year group from Reception to Year 6 for less than the price of three single packs (worth £49.95).
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