20 Los Angeles schools have been competing in Grades of Green’s 7th annual Trash Free Lunch Challenge, and have made some big changes! Grades of Green Team students are championing awesome waste reduction programs in their school communities, and are collectively diverting over 400 tons of trash from landfills. Each of these schools has truly embraced the program in their own way, and we are so proud of their efforts.

After careful review, we are proud to announce the 6 finalist schools!

Elementary School Finalists (in no particular order): Victor Elementary (Torrance), Charles Helmers Elementary (Santa Clarita), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hermosa Beach)

Middle School Finalists (in no particular order): Oak Middle School (Los Alamitos), South Pointe Middle School (Walnut), Helen Keller dual immersion Middle School (Long Beach).

Winning schools will be selected at the end of March, and will be announced in April 2018.

Each school in the Trash Free Lunch Challenge was unique in their own way, and as such we are pleased to give the following awards of recognition:



Berkeley Hall K-8 – Best Compost Award

Carthay Center Elementary – Litter Busters Award

Castle Rock Elementary – Best Recycling Award

Cyrus J. Morris Elementary – Best Education Award

Evelyn Carr Elementary – Best Green Team Award

F.D. Roosevelt Elementary – Best Food Recovery Award

Gaspar de Portola Middle School – City Leaders Award

Jackie Robinson Academy K-8 – Green Leaders of Tomorrow Award

Nettie L. Waite Middle School – Most Determined Award

Overland Elementary – Greenest Community Award

St. Anthony K-8 – Green Stewards Award

Skyblue Mesa Elementary – Community Activists Award

Whittier Elementary – Most Inspirational

William F. Prisk Elementary – Super Sorters Award



This program would not be possible without the support of our amazing sponsors. We thank the following:  Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, Lush Cosmetics, Northrop GrummanLA Kings Care Foundation, Los Angeles County 4th District, the Carton Council, and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation.

Check our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts next week to see who the 2017-2018 Trash Free Lunch Challenge winners will be!

Interested in registering your school for the 2018-2019 Trash Free Lunch Challenge? Email us at info@gradesofgreen.org for more information.