Why do teenagers throw pennies in the bin?

It’s jaw-dropping, but it seems some teens now treat copper coins as rubbish, throwing them in the bin. It shows a disrespect for cash and a lack of understanding about "looking after the pennies".

Here’s just some of the thoughts people have tweeted me about this:

For some reason pennies were embarrassing when I was younger. Now I save them in my penny jar!"

It’s part of a game, they throw them as some kind of skills-based gambling game, they do it here too."

Kids in my shop will regularly leave up to 50p because they don’t want the change!!!! And there’s supposed to be a recession."

I’m a sixth form cleaner and picked up £26 in loose change last year."

I point them out to my young children, who pick them up with delight."

What’s frustrating about this is the sheer waste. We desperately need financial education in schools – do sign the financial education petition – if nothing else to teach young kids about putting change into a penny jar and showing them how "if you look after the pennies…"

Teens, even if you don’t want the pennies yourself, at least put them in a charity jar – and shops, why not ensure you have a charity collection jar near the till?