Free lesson plans
Waste Hero offers 19 FREE activity-based lessons and workshops for K-12 and university students.
Waste Hero Reduce to Zero
Free teacher and school resources on Recycling Fundamentals, Creating Zero Waste, and Building the Circular Economy
Waste Hero Education is a global education program with the aim toeducate 1 million people by 2030on recycling, zero waste, and the circular economy.
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Educate Tomorrow's Green Leaders
Empower students with the knowledge, attitude, and skills to protect our planet. Learn more about how Waste Hero Education is preparing tomorrow’s green leaders.
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The 19 lessons are organized into 6 levels with each containing a beginner, intermediate, and advanced lesson plan.
Waste Hero Overview
Inspire youth action
A PowerPoint version with teacher instructions and a printable PDF lesson and classroom handouts available for free
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Lesson Library
Click on the lesson icons based on language to download the lessons
Explore with Us
Our educational videos bring key lessons to life with clear, informative details from our Waste Hero Education lesson plan.
What’s Recycling?
Learn what goes in the bin, how to clean recyclables, and avoid common mistakes.
Discover the Cost of Waste
Understand how long waste lasts, what recycling saves, and how materials get a second life.
From Linear to Circular
Discover how to turn the world around, by shifting linear economics into circularity
(Pre- Kindergarten to Grade 2)
beginner
Introduction To Recycling
Students will learn the basics of recycling, why it is important, and how to do it. They will listen and comment on a children's story about a rabbit family learning to recycle at home.
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intermediate
What Can You Recycle?
Students will learn what kind of items are and are not recyclable. They will be able to identify simple everyday items as recyclable or non-recyclable items.
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advanced
Find It, Recycle It
Students will learn about the 3 steps of recycling and how to do it at home. They will learn how to identify #1 PET plastic bottles, the most recycled plastic, and how to properly recycle the material.
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(Grades 3-5)
beginner
Recyclable, Non-Recyclables, And Potential Recyclables
Students will learn about the recycling process and how improperly recycled items can cause problems or contaminate other recyclables. They will learn the best practices to better manage items that are potentially recyclable at home and school.
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intermediate
Where Does Your Recycling Go?
Students will learn about the relationship between recycling and the environment. They will learn what a landfill is and where waste can end up if not properly managed.
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advanced
What Can You Make From Recycling?
Students will deepen their understanding of how recycling benefits the environment by identifying new everyday products made from recycled materials.
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(Grades 6-8)
beginner
Waste Leakage In The Environment
Students will review and refresh their knowledge of recycling and the negative effects on the environment without recycling best practices. They will also be introduced to the concept of "waste leakage" as a result of not recycling and mismanagement of recyclables and create a "Waste Hero" poster with a message to inspire others to take action.
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intermediate
A Waste Hero's Story
Students will review and refresh their knowledge of recycling and the negative effects on the environment without recycling best practices. They will also be introduced to the concept of "waste leakage" as a result of not recycling and mismanagement of recyclables and create a "Waste Hero" story with a message to inform, inspire, and encourage others to take action against waste in our environment.
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advanced
My Waste Audit
Students will consider how much waste they personally and as a class generate each day, and the portion that is recyclable and non-recyclable by conducting a "waste audit" at home.
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(Grades 9-10)
beginner
Linear vs Circular Life Cycle
Students will understand the differences between the linear and circular economies and how products and materials move through a life cycle. They will develop the ability to think about the full lifecycle of the things that we use in our daily lives and set the groundwork for being able to redesign systems.
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intermediate
Creating The Circular Economy
Students will understand the differences between the linear and circular economies and how natural cycles can teach us to design more circularly. Students will understand 5 different types of circular economy business models and identify how these models practice the 3 principles of the circular economy.
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advanced
Circular Design Challenge
Students will apply the circular strategies to solve a linear problem of an everyday product. This lesson will cover the linear vs circular economy, and how to build circular solutions using design thinking for linear products.
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(Grades 11-12)
beginner
Circular Case Study
Students will understand the differences between the linear and circular economies and will develop the ability to think about the full life of the products that we use in our daily lives and set the groundwork for being able to redesign systems. Students will understand the 5 different types of circular economy business models and identify how these models practice the 3 principles of the circular economy based on a business case study analysis.
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intermediate
Redesign For Circularity
Students will apply the circular strategies to solve a linear problem of an everyday business. This lesson will cover 5 circular business models, review an existing business model, and answer questions in the circular business case study.
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advanced
Circular Business Model Canvas
Students will apply a circular design strategy to solve a linear business design problem. They will learn what the circular business model canvas tool is and how to use one to create their own circular business model.
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(Universities & Youth Clubs)
workshop 1
Problem And Solution Tree
The workshop aims to provide guidance on how to frame problems and solutions using practical and user- friendly tools to help solve complex and interconnected problems. The workshop will focus students on transformative thinking, teamwork and results oriented thinking through the utilization of mapping tools that help identify, define, and solve for the greater sustainability challenges of our time.
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workshop 2
Mind Mapping
The workshop aims to explore how students can use mapping tools to identify key opportunities or solution pathways to problems and visualize the complexity and interconnectedness of them. Students will learn how to utilize decision making tools like "down selection" to weigh the value of an idea against another, and to identify and select the best solution pathway for a problem.
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workshop 3
Circular Business Model Canvas
Students will apply a circular design strategy to solve a linear business model problem. They will learn what the circular business model canvas tool is and how to use one to create their own circular business model.
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workshop 4
Solving For The SDGs
The workshop aims to analyze the indivisible whole of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, understand the nature of the interlinkages, and then provide practical and user-friendly tools to help achieve the goals.
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Expert Validation
Tested and Validated by Education Experts
Waste Hero Education was created by Yunus Thailand, a not-for-profit foundation co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, in partnership with and supported by Indorama Ventures.
The educational materials have been validated by an independent panel of global education experts who have determined that the materials are fit for purpose. The panel concluded with a high level of assurance that the materials are appropriate for use with learners at different educational levels in diverse contexts globally.
Voices From the Classroom
The Waste Fiction Competition is an annual global competition that empowers young people to imagine a zero waste future. Through creative essays and comics, participants design schools built on circular economy principles, driving sustainability in education and beyond.
The 2025 competition is now open and runs until October 31, 2025. Join us and share your vision for a better world.
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