Over eight million people. One city. And a future that depends on all of us understanding the waste we create, in our schools, our streets, and our own homes.
As the official nonprofit partner of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), we work to build a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable city, one where every New Yorker understands their role and takes action.
Reducing Waste, Reducing Landfills and Raising a Generation That Knows How
Youth Education
Looking to teach students about reducing waste, recycling, and supporting their community?
We offer turnkey resources educators can use to bring waste education to life in their classrooms.
Check out our Educator Resources, including cleanup support, facilitator guides and curriculum designed to be ready to use, no prep required. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on our latest offerings.
Browse Educator Resources
Youth Litter Cleanups
Are you leading litter cleanups with youth to address local pollution in your communities?
Check out our interactive map of our partner schools and get inspired by the creative litter reduction actions taken by youth and educators!
Just getting started? Check out our comprehensive guides to help you facilitate waste-reduction activities with youth below.
After we toss our waste in the bin, we don’t often think about where it goes next. But, our choices can have a big impact on the cleanliness and health of our environment. When young New Yorkers learn how to properly dispose of their waste, they help to create a cleaner and more sustainable future.
We invite you to Follow Your Waste on a visual journey from curbside pickup through the surprising inner workings of our city.
Facilitator Guides
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C is for Compost
Designed for PreK-2 learners, this multi-part activity explores how organic waste is broken down into compost.
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Litter Cleanups
Remove litter from your community and determine follow-up actions you can take to reduce nearby pollution.
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Waste Audits
Investigate a trash bin at your school and develop a plan to improve recycling on your school grounds.
Lesson Plans
We’ve designed a comprehensive waste and recycling curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school students. The curriculum includes interactive activities that are engaging and easy for teachers to add to their existing lesson plans.
Lesson highlights:
Knowing Where Garbage Goes After It’s Thrown Away
The Life Cycle of Products
Recycling in the Classroom
How to Reduce Waste
Waste Equity
Linear Economy vs. Circular Economy
Does Recycling Solve Our Waste Problem
Breaking Down Composting
Beginning to Understand that Nature Recycles
“In the ‘Does Recycling Solve our Waste Problem?’ lesson, my students enjoyed coming up with ideas for reducing and reusing everyday items we use in our daily lives. They completed reuse projects based on their ideas and created some art pieces and some functional pieces to reuse everyday items.” - PS/MS 57 James Weldon Johnson, Grade 8, East Harlem
“My students were able to make connections between trash and their lives living in the South Bronx. Most of my students reside in the Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx which is notorious for its dirty streets. Students recounted how they see piles of trash on the streets when they leave school and how sad they are that many of their neighbors don't know the benefits of recycling. So my students made it a personal mission of theirs to educate their friends and families about the importance of proper waste management.” - Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School, Grade 9, South Bronx
Looking to improve recycling in your classroom or school?
Check out these helpful resources from the Sanitation Foundation and our partners.
School Recycling Tips
Meet the Workers
The NYC Department of Sanitation employees are on the front lines every day, working tirelessly to keep our city healthy, safe, and clean. They told you the story of your waste - now get to know the people behind the collection truck. From laying in the hammocks on Governor’s Island, to playing in our department’s “Pipes and Drums” band, there is so much more to learn about New York’s Strongest - find out more below!
Educator Newsletter
Sign up for our monthly educator newsletter to receive the latest information about our waste and recycling education programs, including facilitated in-school activities, grant opportunities, waste diversion resources, and so much more!