Zero Waste Resources
CAMPUS RESOURCES
PHASE 1-2: BUY-IN, ASSESSMENT, AND PLANNING
GOALS, MANDATES, AND STRATEGIES
Zero Waste Goals, Mandates, and Strategies: This resource page makes the case for why energy conservation matters, and lays out relevant goals, mandates, and strategies for school communities to consider.
ASSESSMENT AND AUDIT RESOURCES
Zero Waste Audit: This tool provides a comprehensive audit for zero waste efforts across a campus, curriculum, and community.
Awards Program: Green Ribbon (ED-GRS & CA-GRS): Pillar 1 - Elements IC: Waste
TOOLKITS FOR PLANNING AND GETTING STARTED
PHASE 2-3: IMPLEMENTATION, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND RECOGNITION
TRACKING AND MONITORING
Campus Sustainability Dashboard and Examples: This document provides an overview to what a Campus Sustainability Dashboard is, and why it is an important tool for advancing environmental and climate action in schools. The document also includes examples such as vendor resources, recommendations for dashboard data to include, and curriculum resource examples.
Green Club Zero Waste Activities: This document provides example activities that a green club can host to support zero waste initiatives.
SUCCESS AND RECOGNITION
AWARDS PROGRAM EXAMPLES
Green Ribbon (ED-GRS & CA-GRS): Pillar 1 - Elements IC: Waste
CA Green Business Award: Waste
CURRICULUM RESOURCES
The San Mateo County Office of Education's (SMCOE) Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative (ELSI) developed a number of supplemental curriculum resources:
Waste WebQuests: 3-5 Waste and Consumption WebQuest; 6-8 Waste and Consumption WebQuest; and 9-12 Waste and Consumption WebQuest
Curriculum: K-12 Zero Waste Solutionary PBL Unit
StopWaste: Doing the 4R’s: A Classroom Guide to Teach Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. Developed for 4th and 5th grade but easily adaptable to younger grade levels.
Energize Schools: Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) has created a number of no-cost resources and supportive services including: sustainability project-based curriculum, instructional support in the classroom, field trips, instructional materials, and teacher trainings. They also have other curriculum resources available to browse and use. Click here or a zero waste school guide, free for California High School Teachers.
California Academy of Sciences:
3-11th Food Waste Audit for home or school
6th-11th Reducing Food Waste Video
World Wildlife Fund: Units exploring food waste for grades 5-12. "The food waste warrior toolkit provides lessons, activities and resources to share how what we eat and what we throw away impacts our planet by creating a classroom in the cafeteria."
EPA: A teacher's guide to Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. Lessons range from K-8 and cover a variety of waste topics including natural resources, recycling, and composting.
Eco Rise: EcoRise develops the next generation of creative problem solvers by enlivening conventional classrooms with academically-aligned K-12 curriculum that introduce students to environmental literacy, social innovation and hands-on design skills. Green professionals serve as guest speakers and project mentors to help students solve real-world sustainability challenges concerning energy, water, waste, transportation, air quality, food and public spaces.