As school year starts, WasteWiseLane.org equips Lane County classrooms for a sustainable future

By Daniel Hiestand

Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator

I have a lot of sympathy for teachers. My mom was a longtime elementary teacher, and I remember her toiling away on grades and lesson plans many a night.

I also know that teaching today has even more administrative hoops to jump through—with often fewer resources—than it did when my mother taught in the early 1990s.

That’s why I feel for teachers who initially react with uncertainty at a recent piece of legislation that passed earlier this summer—Oregon House Bill 3365.

The new law marks a transformative moment for Oregon education: it requires the integration of climate change and sustainability lessons and activities into K-12 classrooms. As someone who believes climate change is the greatest existential threat we face, this is long overdue. Our kids should have a clear-eyed view of the future and learn how to prepare for it.

Conversely, for many Lane County teachers, this new mandate also brings a pressing question: “Where do I find the time and resources to teach this stuff?”

This is where WasteWiseLane.org steps in, transforming a legislative action into a practical, empowering opportunity for hardworking teachers and students.

In other words, we got your back.

WasteWiseLane.org, administered by Waste Wise Lane County—a part of Lane County’s Waste Management Division—serves as a clearinghouse made explicitly for local educators seeking sustainability-related education.

Launched in the fall of 2024, the site was built with efficiency in mind: Instead of spending hours sifting through generic online materials, educators can immediately access a curated library of standards-aligned lesson plans, activities, project ideas, and even field trips.

These resources are tailored to different grade levels and subjects, making it simple for a science teacher to find a hands-on composting experiment and equally easy for an English teacher to locate sustainability-themed literature activities.

One of the platform’s greatest strengths is its local relevance. Lessons connect global concepts of sustainability to our immediate environment here in Lane County. Students can learn about recycling by exploring what happens at our local Short Mountain Landfill, or study watershed health through the lens of our beloved Willamette River. This local connection makes abstract concepts tangible.

Furthermore, WasteWiseLane.org goes beyond lesson plans. It facilitates direct access to experts, offering opportunities for classroom presentations and tours of local recycling facilities. It provides guidance on securing free supplies for projects and helps teachers implement real-world sustainability programs—like waste audits or school garden composting—that make the entire school community part of the learning process.

In fact, BRING just updated their materials on the site in advance of the new school year.

And parents: help us spread the word. Tell your teachers and administrators about this new resource.

House Bill 3365 set a vital goal. WasteWiseLane.org provides the essential map and tools to reach it, ensuring Lane County educators feel supported, not burdened, as they lead the next generation toward a more sustainable future.