Plastic-free July serves not only as a global environmental movement but also as a reminder for educators planning lessons on sustainability and responsible living. Schools are significant contributors to plastic waste, often without being aware of it. Much of this waste originates from common single-use plastics, including utensils, straws, snack wrappers, water bottles, and packaging from school lunches.
Educators can use this opportunity to plan lessons that teach students about sustainability, explore real-world plastic waste solutions, and inspire lifelong habits that reduce harm to our planet. By embedding waste reduction into the learning experience, teachers can spark action that extends beyond the classroom.
Modeling a Low-Waste Classroom
Kick off your plastic-free lessons by engaging students in real-world observation. Ask: How much plastic do we use in a typical school day? Where does it go? These questions open the door to meaningful discussion about everyday habits.
Turn this exploration into a student-led activity. Have students act as “waste detectives,” tracking the items they discard in a day or week. As a class, review their findings to identify common sources of plastic waste, such as snack wrappers or disposable utensils. Use this as a springboard for students to brainstorm realistic low-waste swaps or simple ideas for reducing single-use items in their daily routines.
If you're able, consider highlighting a “model zero-waste classroom” as a case study. This could include features like:
Clear waste stations for sorting trash, recycling, and (if possible) compost
Reusable supplies and materials for conducting lessons
Signage and visual reminders to encourage mindful disposal
Always check your school’s waste management policies. If you're in Massachusetts, RecycleSmart is a helpful resource for understanding what’s accepted in your local recycling.
Turning Waste Reduction Into Learning
Waste reduction offers countless opportunities to link science, math, social studies, and language arts. Make it a multidisciplinary experience by weaving it into:
Science: Explore decomposition rates and create a microcomposter in a bottle.
Math: Calculate the plastic saved by switching to reusable options.
Social Studies: Research the global movement toward banning single-use plastics and examine how policies differ around the world.
ELA: Have students write persuasive essays on the importance of plastic waste solutions or letters to local leaders advocating for sustainable policies.
Teach students about the Great Pacific garbage patch, a floating mass of plastic debris twice the size of Texas. This real-world example drives home the global scale of plastic waste in the ocean, sparking deeper discussions and problem-solving sessions.
For added structure, explore our topic library to see the range of subjects our programming covers and how they align with educational standards.
Hands-On Activities: Engaging Students Through Action
Students learn best when they’re actively involved. Hands-on projects reinforce lessons and give students a sense of ownership in environmental stewardship.
Try these engaging activities:
Trash Audit: Have students collect and analyze one day’s worth of classroom trash. Sort it into categories and identify how much of it is recyclable, compostable, reusable, or truly trash.
Plastic-Free Challenges: Encourage students to reduce plastic use by going one day (or one week) without using single-use plastics and report back.
DIY Projects: Create beeswax wraps, reusable tote bags, or upcycled pencil holders. These small actions teach students to reduce plastic waste creatively.
Composting Experiments: Start a compost bin to expand the conversation to food waste reduction. If that's not possible, try a micro-composter-in-a-bottle experiment or use videos and virtual tools to observe composting in action.
Action-based learning empowers students to see their influence on the world. It also supports social-emotional growth, as they practice responsibility, collaboration, and empathy for the planet.
Expanding Impact Beyond the Classroom
Reducing plastic with your students doesn’t have to stop at the classroom door. While not every idea will be practical for all schools, here are some ways you might engage the broader school community for greater impact:
Host a school-wide zero waste challenge.
Invite local sustainability experts for a Q&A session.
Collaborate with the cafeteria to limit single-use plastics in school lunches.
Share results and student reflections with families through newsletters or social media.
Start a student-led Green Club to champion campus sustainability efforts. Initiatives might include starting a composting program in the cafeteria, switching from Styrofoam trays to BPI-certified compostable or reusable trays, or replacing plastic cutlery with metal.
Organize a litter pick-up event by collaborating with local organizations such as Keep Massachusetts Beautiful.
Help students connect the dots between personal action and systemic change. When they understand how their efforts fit into a bigger picture, they’re more likely to stay engaged.
Families can also adopt strategies at home, turning student leadership into community transformation. Many schools report long-term behavior changes from even a single month of programming. In Vietnam, the Plastic Waste Free Schools initiative involved over 100 schools in adopting plastic reduction policies and incorporating environmental education into the curriculum. This program helped create a culture of sustainability, leading to lasting behavior changes among students and influencing their families and communities.
Promoting Year-Round Habits
The goal is long-term transformation. Encourage students to build sustainable habits during the school year. Ideally, these habits will extend beyond the classroom and support a lifetime of responsible environmental choices.
Ways to extend the momentum include:
Keeping waste tracking tools active year-round.
Hosting friendly competitions between grades, classrooms, or lunch tables to see who can reduce the most plastic waste.
Celebrating “Waste-Free Wednesdays” or monthly sustainability themes.
Incorporating zero waste goals into classroom agreements or student leadership roles.
Linking environmental learning to service projects and community advocacy.
Encourage students to reflect at the end of the challenge. What did they learn? What surprised them? What habits will they keep? These reflections can be tied into a culminating project that showcases student learning, such as posters, presentations, or videos advocating for plastic waste solutions.
As you guide students to a lifestyle of action, you’re helping fulfill the mission of organizations like Change Is Simple, which works to make climate and sustainability education engaging, accessible, and lasting.
Why Plastic-Free Classrooms Matter
Educators have the unique power to influence behavior early. A plastic-free program blends science with action, empowering students to tackle global problems. More than that, it builds a classroom culture rooted in care for the planet.
Students who learn to question, explore, and act on environmental issues become advocates for a more sustainable future. Let your classroom be a place where change begins.
Change Is Simple is an environmental education nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation through hands-on learning and action. Our mission is to instill lifelong sustainability habits by bringing innovative, science-based programs into schools and communities. By combining environmental science with social-emotional learning, we equip students to become leaders in building a healthier, more equitable world. To support our work or learn more about how we’re creating lasting impact, visitchangeissimple.org or make a donation today.