Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Resources for Students and Educators

Recycle City

Explore Recycle City to learn how its residents reduce waste, use less energy, and even save money by doing simple things at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods. (All ages)

Planet Protectors Club

As a Planet Protector, your mission is to improve the world around you by making less trash. You will also help other people learn to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Are you a teacher interested in starting a Planet Protector’s Club in your classroom? Learn more on the Planet Protector resource page for teachers. (Grades K-5)

Teach English, Teach About the Environment

EPA's English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) curriculum (133 pp, 1.6MB, About PDF) teaches English to adult students while introducing basic concepts about protecting our environment. The curriculum uses a hands-on, multi-sensory, multi-media approach to show how personal behavior can improve the overall environmental well-being of the family, home, and community. (Adults, Educators)

Science Fair Fun

Learn how to do your own environmental science project about reducing, reusing and recycling waste.  This booklet is a step-by-step guide to help you design an exciting science fair project that focuses on the 3Rs of waste management—reduce, reuse, and recycle. Use your science fair project to show how the 3Rs lead to resource conservation.  Also available in Spanish (Students, Grades 6-8) 

Learning By Doing: Students Take Greening to the Community

This booklet, Learning By Doing: Students Take Greening to the Community, contains several service-learning projects that focus on various aspects of safe solid waste management, such as recycling, composting, and reducing household hazardous waste. (34 pp, 1.7 MB, About PDF). (Students, Educators)

The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8

The Quest for Less: Activities and Resources for Teaching K-8 provides hands-on lessons and activities, enrichment ideas, journal writing assignments, and other educational tools related to preventing and reusing waste.

This large document includes factsheets, activities, and teaching notes for 6-8^th grade teachers. (Educators, K-8)

Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools

By learning how to properly handle this waste, school officials an have a significant impact on the environment. To make waste reduction efforts and environmental protection feasible and practical for schools and school districts, EPA developed Tools to Reduce Waste in Schools, an easy-to-use guide to help schools and school districts implement new, or expand upon existing, waste reduction programs. (44pp, 721K, About PDF). (Educators)

Pack a Waste Free Lunch

Learn how to be waste-free! EPA developed the Waste-Free Lunch activities to help students learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle items in their school lunches. (Students, Educators)