School Programs & Tours

School Programs
Yakima County Solid Waste has an assortment of waste reduction and recycling programs for schools and classrooms. We have designed educational presentations that run approximately 40-45 minutes that are appropriate for grades 2 through 12. We tailor our presentations to the age level and specific interests of your classroom and can provide information about recycling and composting.

Landfill Tours
Yakima County Public Works Department and several local recycling centers offer an excellent lesson in ecology. If you have a lesson plan dealing with ecology, recycling, energy savings or conservation, a field trip to the Terrace Heights Landfill and a local recycling center could be an excellent supplement.

For more information on classroom presentations or field trips, please call 509-574-2450.

TerraCycle Recycling Brigades
Your school can sign up to start collecting items for recycling and earn money in the process. TerraCycle, Inc offers Recycling Brigades which collect everything from tooth paste tubes, to drink pouches. They focus on items that would otherwise be considered trash and help make them into new treasures.
Drink Pouches
Once you have signed up for a Brigade, you can collect and ship directly to TerraCycle using free, downloadable postage labels. Reuse a box or bag you have at home, affix the prepaid postage label and drop it off at the nearest UPS location. You can earn a couple of cents for each item collected which will be paid to a school or non-profit organization of your choice. If you do not have an organization in mind, you can choose one from their list!

Additional Documents

  1. School Recycling Resources (PDF)
  1. You Can Help Your Environment Activity Book (PDF)