School Programs and Teacher Resources

Presentations and Resources

Thurston County Solid Waste offers free, high-quality, interactive presentations to teach K-6 students about recycling, composting, sustainability, waste reduction, solid waste management and hazardous household products. We also provide students with opportunities to earn community service hours, and help them gather information for their environmental projects. For more information, e-mail Colleen Uuereb at uuerebc@co.thurston.wa.us or call 786-5269.  For descriptions of the presentations, click here or on the thumbnail image below.

Field Trip to Waste and Recovery Center

Students can tour the Waste and Recovery Center at Hawks Prairie to discover how much trash we create here in Thurston County. The tour illustrates how trash can affect the environment and the measures used to protect the environment. Students visit HazoHouse (Thurston County’s household hazardous waste facility); the Recycle Center; the methane flare station; the Yard Debris Site; and the leachate pre-treatment pond. To schedule a tour, call Jo Evans at 867-2901 or
e-mail evansj@co.thurston.wa.us

Recycling Programs and Waste Sorts

Our staff is available to help establish or enhance your school recycling or composting program and provide a waste sort. A staff can member will meet you on-site to figure out the best approach for your school's individual needs.

Food and Organics Recycling Service

Schools and colleges in Thurston County are realizing just how easy it is to recycle food scraps and soiled paper products from their lunchrooms.

• K-12 schools participate in the "Food to Flowers" program.

• Colleges participate in the "Food Plus Organics Recycling" program.

Both programs accept the same materials, however, the Food to Flowers program includes interactive training with teachers and students. 

Electronics Recycling

Manufacturers are now required by state law to  offer recycling services for certain electronic items at no cost to residents, nonprofits, small businesses, schools and local governments.  The law took effect January 1, 2009 and applies to the following items only: TVs, desktop computers, laptop computers and monitors.

Click here for the locations of free drop-off sites. Click here for a Department of Ecology fact sheet about school electronics recycling.

Waste-Free Lunches

One of the best ways to reduce waste at school is to encourage kids to bring "waste-free" lunches to school. According to the Waste-Free Lunches Web site, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. Instead of using individually-wrapped foods, disposable drink containers, plastic utensils, and paper lunch bags, Waste-Free lunches include:

• reusable lunchboxes

• cloth napkins

• stainless-steel forks and spoons

• reusable drink bottles

• reusable plastic "snap top" food containers
   

Questions:  Call Colleen Uuereb at 786-5269 or e-mail wwm-webmaster@co.thurston.wa.us. 
Last updated: 10/15/2009