Evanston/Skokie
School District 65
School Recycling
D65 encourages recycling in our schools and believes it’s an important daily practice for our students and staff.
Benefits of Recycling include:
- Recycling materials like empty milk cartons can be used to create new paper or cardboard.
- Recycling materials prevents pollution and reduces greenhouse gasses by reducing the need to mine and process new materials.
- Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, which create methane and carbon emissions reducing our climate change impact.
Learning Hub
- Classroom Learning to share with your Students
- Morning Announcements
- Sesame Street Recycling Tour (6 minutes, 3 seconds) - recommended for PreK - 1st Grade
- How Trash is Recycled with LaVar Burton (6 minutes, 23 seconds) - recommended for 2-5th Grade
- Recycling Facility Virtual Tour (5 minutes, 41 seconds) - recommended for 6-8 Grade and Staff
- Staff Meeting (google slide to get the word out) at our Schools
School Recycling Resources
- City of Evanston Recycling Website and City of Evanston Recycling Guidelines
- Village of Skokie Recycling Website and Village of Skokie Recycling Guidelines
- Recycling and Landfill Signage:
- D65 Classroom / Office Signage - Recycling and Landfill (post eye level above corresponding recycling and landfill bin)
- Lunchroom Signage
- JEH Early Childhood classroom signage (recycling, compost and landfill)
- School Recycling Dance: D65 How to Guide (student engagement opportunity to bring sustainability to life in our schools, shout out to Chute leading the way!)
- Streamline Collection of Recycling and Landfill in our Schools: Tandem Dolly, 44-gallon recycling bin, 44-gallon landfill bin. Feedback from our JEH custodians piloting the tandem dolly's is they are cutting their collection time in half, allowing them more time for their other school obligations. In addition, students and staff can see both trash and recyclables collected at the same time and put into separate bins, they feel positive that materials are being kept separate and ending up in the appropriate location at the end. “We need these at all our schools, it makes collection so much easier” ~ D65 Custodian
- Let's Recycle Better Together (D65 School Recycling Project Intro Fall 2023
- D65 Lunchroom Composting & Recycling Resources (1-pager)
- Missing a recycling bin? Contact your building’s head custodian to request a recycling bin. If they don’t have one on-site, they will contact Buildings & Grounds to request one from the D65 warehouse.
- Missing a recycling and/or landfill signage in your room? Download signage here For color copies, you can reach out to Karen Bireta, D65 Sustainability Coordinator at biretak@district65.net with your school, description of the signage you need and # signs requested.
Waste Reduction including Reuse and Donation Opportunities for our Schools:
- D65 End of School Classroom and Locker Clean Out (donation of school supplies, children's books and more)
- D65 School Library Book Weeding Process for Donation / Recycling (applicable to old curriculum books too)
- Donate children's clothing to Evanston School Children’s Clothing Association: including Lost & Found items no longer needed
- D65 School Supply Swap Closet Guidance
- Books4Cause (D65 Guidance): Free children’s books for school libraries plus book donation
- Trash or Treasure Candy Wrapper Recycling: D65 How to Guide October - November
- TerraCycle School Recycling Programs
- Zero Waste Schools by Seven Generations Ahead
- Request custodians save flattened cardboard boxes from staff moves in their schools, reuse for future moves and end of school clean outs
- Have materials you don’t need and would like to donate? Contact Karen Bireta, D65 Sustainability Coordinator at
Community Resources:
- Beyond Waste by Climate Action Evanston including a Circular Evanston + Beyond Resources Map
- Rebuilding Exchange
- The WasteShed (Evanston location)
- Art Makers Outpost
- The Recyclery
- Books4Cause
- Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
- Chicago Environmentalists
- New recycling and community resources to share? Email your idea to Karen Bireta, D65 Sustainability Coordinator at biretak@district65.net
Questions? Contact Karen Bireta, D65 Sustainability Coordinator at biretak@district65.net.