The Zero Waste Schools newsletter will help you get your school on a path toward generating zero waste through waste prevention, recycling, composting, and food recovery. You’ll also find resources that connect zero waste to healthy eating, school gardens, and environmental education and action.



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Beye Elementary’s quest continues…

Last August we highlighted Beye Elementary’s quest to reduce single-use items in their school lunchroom by switching to reusable foodware. Oak Park Elementary School District 97 parents and co-founders of the consultancy Less is More (LIM), Lauren Smith-MacGregor and Kara Finnegan, recently updated the ZWS team on the exciting progress the district has made this school year. Here are just a few of the sustainability successes from this year:



• District 97 partnered with Plastic Free America to receive a subsidy to purchase reusable utensils for all 10 schools. The switch from single-use plastic sporks is in progress and all schools will be rolled out by the end of the month. For those schools without dishwashers, the food service manager has created a system to sanitize the utensils.
• Three of 10 schools now have functional dishwashers and use washable trays. The Facilities Advisory Committee is working with administration to evaluate options to repair existing units and to replace or install dishwashers in the remaining schools as part of the 10-Year Master Facilities Plan. 
• All schools plan to have two-way share tables up and running by the end of the school year. 

The Beye student green team continues to share their award winning One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest film, The Dishwasher Quest. The film was featured three times during the 2026 One Earth Film Festival last month and was screened alongside the feature film Plastic People at the Evanston Public Library. In addition, the student green team also presented at Academy for Global Citizenship and at BUILD in Chicago. Green Team members were part of a panel discussion following the screening. These were incredible opportunities for the film’s message to be seen and discussed by audiences throughout the Chicago area.

In addition to being screened at the OEFF/OEYFC events this year, The Dishwasher Quest was also chosen as a feature film at the Lighthouse Studio/C3 Climate Change Film Challenge, a youth focused film festival held on April 22, in Charlottesville, VA. The film was also selected to be in the Little Fort Film Festival June 20-21 in Waukegan, IL. 

Read this recent newsletter article for more details about D97’s efforts to reduce waste, use resources responsibly, and empower students to be part of the solution.

Tips for a successful end-of-year clean out

It’s time to do some spring cleaning as the school year wraps up! As we clean out lockers and classrooms, it’s helpful to remember that not everything needs to be tossed. In fact, most items can be reused at school or donated to an outside organization. Organizing an end-of-year clean out is a simple activity that can have a big impact. 

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County has some helpful tips to help us see school materials not as “clutter” but rather as useful resources. 

• Return supplies to students: This simple strategy encourages students to take home supplies such as crayons, markers, and scissors back home for fun projects during the summer. 
• Give students ownership and responsibility: Having students take ownership of sorting materials can help them make better informed decisions and think critically about their usage of materials. 
• Build an inventory: Keeping an organized list of materials can help planning for the next school year. Even a rough count can go a long way.  
• Send a family questionnaire: By asking families what items they might need at home, you can plan sorting through materials to give back to students to take home. 
• Create a “Reuse Station”: Having a reuse station will encourage students to think about sharing, donating, and swapping items with other students. These actions will foster an environment of sustainability and create a lasting legacy. 



To read the full article, written by Theresa Greinig, the Recycling and Education Director of SWANCC, click HERE. 

In addition to SWANCC’s clean out guide, the ZWS Team also has a Green Locker Clean Out Guide that provides more technical advice to run a smooth locker clean out. Suggestions include: 

• Planning: This includes identifying leaders, picking dates and times, determining methods of recycling, donating, and reusing.
• Sorting stations: It is important to decide how many sorting stations there will be, what type of signage will be used, and if liners for bins will be necessary. 
• Promotion: Spreading awareness of this day/event will help folks prepare for the clean out and allow them to think critically about how to sort items. 
• Documentation: While this is optional, it can be a great way to demonstrate the value of doing a locker clean out.

Green Teacher Gathering 2026

8:30 am - 4 pm, June 24, Academy for Global Citizenship

The goal of the Green Teacher Gathering is to strengthen the environmental and sustainable education movement happening in the Chicagoland area. This event is focused on expanding educators' knowledge of sustainable topics through workshops and networking opportunities.

This year's them, Guided by Nature: Reconnect, Restore, Revolutionize, advancing nature-centered teaching for a sustainable future, reflects the vision of a future where schools and communities are connected and able to share knowledge, resources, and understanding of essential environmental education topics.

The gathering is hosted by the Green Teachers Network with collaboration from Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Grows Food, Chicago Wilderness Alliance, Cultivate Collective, Forest Preserves of Cook County, and Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. The event welcomes anyone interested in environmental education and sustainability, including community members, gardeners, teachers, parents, school facilitators, artists, and more!

To register and learn more, click HERE.

Carton Council Grant

Looking to start a lunchroom recycling program? The Carton Council Grant is a great place to start! Grants of up to $5,000 are available to help K-12 schools in the U.S. and Canada establish, enhance or expand their carton recycling programs. Grant funds can be used to purchase sorting equipment or collection bins, create communications, print signage, establish a “green team,” and more! Apply by June 30.

Plan end of year parties and summer gatherings with our Zero Waste Event Guide

Green your end of school year celebrations and summer events by using SGA's Zero Waste Schools Event Guide. This resource features general advice on how to eliminate waste no matter the event, including tips on avoiding single-use food ware, handling leftovers, and composting food scraps. For DuPage County residents, SCARCE is offering a reusable place setting package pack that includes tablecloths, napkins, plates, and flatware to help you host summer festivities that are GREEN and welcoming. Check to see if your community offers a similar resource. If not, create one of your own and start sharing!

One Earth Film Festival's Young Filmmakers 
Contest 2026

Students ages 8 through 25 are invited to submit their short environmental films to the Young Filmmakers Contest by June 25. Film topics vary depending on age level. Submissions must share and highlight solutions to the issues discussed in the chosen sustainability topic(s). Scholarship awards, prizes, and matching grants (from $100 to $1000) are on offer for 3- to 8- minute films or 45+ second animations.

Climate Action Resources

The Zero Waste Schools team is here to help!

Please contact us at zerowaste@sevengenerationsahead.org if you need support 
with your existing waste reduction initiatives or if you'd like some help figuring 
out where to start.

Grants and other opportunities

Plastic Free America is dedicated to eliminating single-use petroleum-based products in everyday foodware. This subsidy program is available to schools, non-profits, restaurants, and other for-profit entities to purchase safe reusable foodware products. Apply for a subsidy HERE.

SWANCC Waste Reduction Grants are a great opportunity for schools, libraries, and nonprofits that serve SWANCC member communities. Funds can help cover the cost of materials and equipment that support waste-smart projects and sustainability initiatives. Apply for either $200 for clean up event supplies, or $1,000 for waste reduction themed projects. Apply HERE.

Pilot Light's Food Education Fellowship is a year-long, paid professional development opportunity for PreK-12 educators located anywhere in the United States. Fellows will learn how to enrich their teaching practice through Pilot Light's Food Education Standards and participate in 1-on-1 coaching and peer learning opportunities. 
Apply by May 25.

Brower Youth Awards

The Brower Youth Awards are looking to recognize a young leader of an environmental group or effort. Youth environmental change leaders ages 13 to 22 living in North America are encouraged to apply. Recipients will receive a $3,000 cash prize, a short film produced about their work, a trip to participate in leadership development activities, flights, meals, and lodging accommodations. Apply by May 31.

Events

Illinois Green Schools Project: Annual Recognition Event

May 21, 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Join Illinois Green Alliance on May 21 to celebrate schools throughout Illinois that are finding creative and impactful ways to prioritize sustainability across their school cultures, educational programming, and physical spaces.

Sustainability Fest 2026: Pollinators

May 23, 4 - 7 pm, 841 S River Rd, Des Plaines, IL

Come learn about the importance of pollinators in our world! Talk to experts including representatives from the Xerces Society and U of IL Conservation @ Home. Crafts, games, and fun for the whole family!

Bike and Roll to School Day

Ongoing throughout May

While May 6 was the official day to celebrate National Bike & Roll to School Day 2026, the national event count will keep climbing as events are held throughout the month of May, National Bike Month, until registration closes on May 31.

Alliance for the Great Lakes: Adopt-a-Beach

Ongoing

Adopt-a-Beach cleanups are a fun, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of the Great Lakes.

Seven Generations Ahead | Email | Website

This newsletter was created by Seven Generations Ahead.

Funding for Zero Waste Schools is provided by Food:Land:Opportunity, a collaboration between Kinship Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust and funded through the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.