The 2017-2018 Trash Free Lunch Challenge officially kicked off at our 7th annual Training Day event. Grades of Green Team representatives from the 23 Los Angeles schools competing in this year’s Challenge visited the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County to explore best practices in helping their school to decrease lunchtime waste. The Sanitation Districts gave attendees a tour of the closed down Puente Hills Landfill and Materials Recovery Facility to give the students, teachers, parents, custodial staff, and administrators alike a better understanding of how waste is managed, and the importance of reducing waste.

Along with the tour, school representatives came away from training day with a Trash Free Lunch Challenge Handbook, the inside scoop about best practices for the Challenge, and big prize bag of goodies from our partners including products from Algalita, Dabbawalla Bags, Funkins, Dopper, Green Toys, Go Green Lunchbox, Legends Socks, To Go Ware, Klean Kanteen, Planet Wise and U Konserve.

Interested in seeing Training Day in action? Click here to check out the photos!

Thank you to our incredible partners who help us bring the Trash Free Lunch Challenge to life. A special shout out to the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, Northrop Grumman, City of Santa Monica,  County of Los Angeles 3rd district, County of Los Angeles 4th district, Kings Care Foundation, Carton Council, and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation for making the Trash Free Lunch Challenge possible!

Interested in getting the inside scoop on some of the best practices discussed at Training Day? One of the crucial components of the Trash Free Lunch Challenge is setting up a solid Grades of Green Team. Join us for a free, interactive webinar on October 12th, 2017 to learn best practices! For more information about the Getting Started Webinar, click here.

Grades of Green kicked off earth month by hosting fun and educational booths at multiple outreach events! At the Bixby Knolls Earth Day event, Grades of Green staff and Youth Corps Eco-Leadership students invited guests to make recycled gift tags. This year the event showcased electric vehicles, rain barrels, and green demonstrations. The event was made complete by free environmentally friendly giveaways and free paper shredding!

At the LA County Sanitation District Earth Day event, Grades of Green staff played the Natural Resources Matching Game with guests while also encouraging people to take on an environmental pledge to help the planet. With everything from water reclamation plant and materials recovery facility tours to free shower buckets and reusable bag handouts, the LA County Sanitation District Earth Day event inspired thousands of people to do their part to help the environment.

Want to test your knowledge of natural resources by playing the Grades of Green Natural Resources Matching Game or share an environmental pledge with social media by writing it out on the Grades of Green environmental pledge board? Stop by the Grades of Green booth at the MB Earth Day Celebration event at Polliwog Park on Saturday, April 22nd! Interested in taking on an eco-friendly activity with your school in honor of earth month? Click here to register and unlock Grades of Green’s 40+ Activities!