Lifelong learners and community members interested in learning more about the environment can access several free resources.

Local Lessons and Resources

• Climate Action website offers several resources and reports that highlight local climate action efforts, greenhouse gas emissions reporting, and climate projections.
• Love Food, Fight Waste is a program that offers community members resources and information on how to reduce food waste. 
  Directories:
  • Iowa City Area Rental Item Directory
  • Iowa City Area Repair Directory
  • Iowa City Area Resale and Consignment Directory
• Self-guided lessons (PDF format) on these topics are available at no cost by contacting the Recycling Coordinator at jwilch@iowa-city.org or 319-887-6110:
  • Compost and Food Waste
  • Hazardous Material
  • Landfilling
  • Materials
  • Waste Reduction
  • Water
• Videos:
  • How Does a Landfill Work? video provides an overview of how a landfill cell is built and how it operates to ensure environmental protection (City of Iowa City).
  • How to Recycle Glass in Iowa City video provides an overview of glass recycling in Iowa City and the recycling process (City of Iowa City).
  • Iowa City's Water Purification Process video (City of Iowa City)
  • Why flushable wipes shouldn't go in the toilet video (City of Iowa City)

Wondering why it is important to recycle certain materials? Watch these videos to learn more. 

• Life of an Aluminum Can (PepsiCo Recycle Rally)
• The Paper Recycling Process (Domtar)
• Life of a Plastic Bottle (PepsiCo Recycle Rally)

Watch the below PepsiCo Recycle Rally videos that teach how to recycle certain items. 

• Plastic Bags
• Mixed Paper
• Cardboard
• Flat Plastics
• Plastic Bottles and Jugs
• Metal Containers
• Aluminum

School resources are organized into environmental topic areas for students and teachers for easy navigation. Grade levels for each resource are identified by letter abbreviations after each resource name to signify if the resource is applicable to preschool and kindergarten, elementary, middle, or high school learning levels. Note: Many lessons are adaptable to other grade levels depending on need.

Grade Level Identification

• PK = Preschool & Kindergarten
• E = Elementary School
• M = Middle School
• H = High School

Lesson Plans and Curriculum for Teachers

The following are websites comprised of a variety of prepared lesson plans and curriculum on topics of environment and waste reduction that are most helpful to teachers (K-12 grade levels represented).

• Education World
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Grow NYC
• Teacher Planet
• Teacher Vision

Books Read Aloud: Video Recordings (PK, E):

• Choose to Reuse by Lisa Bullard (Theresa True Life I'm a Teacher)
• Curious George Plants a Tree by Margret and H.A. Rey (Storytime TV)
• Earth Day Every Day by Lisa Bullard and Xiao Xin (PV Storytime)
• How to Help the Earth By The Lorax by Tish Rabe (PV Storytime)
• I am Earth by Rebecca and James McDonald (Mrs. Rebecca's Read Aloud)
• I Can Save the Earth by Alison Inches and Viviana Garofoli (PV Storytime)
• It's Earth Day! by Mercer Mayer (Happy Cultivated)
• Nipi and Mother Earth by Government of Saskatchewan (Kids Play And Learn)
• The Earth Book by Todd Parr (PV Storytime)
• Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha (AHEV Library)
• What Happens to Our Trash? by D.J. Ward (BrowardEnvironment)

Composting and Food Waste Resources

• Compost with Peppa Pig! video (PK) teaches you how composting works.
• Peg + Cat: Curious About Compost PBS Kids video (PK) teaches you what can be composted and how it works.
• Composting Coloring Book (E): Learn all about composting while you have fun coloring (Georgia Recycles)!
• Food Waste Curriculum (E): Several prepared lessons are available on food waste topics including why food waste is bad for the environment and ways to reduce food waste (Purdue Agriculture).
• Teacher’s Guide to Compost Activities (E, M, H) offers several lessons that teach how composting works, which living things help to decompose organic material, ways to reduce food waste, how to build a compost system, and the environmental benefits of composting (Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District).
• The Compost Story video (H) teaches you about the importance of and science behind composting and includes a Teacher Curriculum Guide (Kiss The Ground).
• The Soil Story video (H) teaches you about soil science and how healthy soil plays a vital role in a healthy environment and climate, and includes a Teacher Curriculum Guide (Kiss The Ground).
• Food Waste Lesson & Activity Toolkits (PK, E, M, H) (WWF)
  • A Little Food Waste Leads to a Lot (K-2 Toolkit)
  • Food Waste Hurts Our World (3-5 Toolkit)
  • How Much Food Is Wasted Each Year? (6-8 Toolkit)
  • Equipping Food Waste Activists (9-12 Toolkit)

Environment and Climate Resources

• Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming video (PK) teaches you what fossil fuels are, how the earth is warming, and how you can help protect the environment (Happy Learning).
• Milo Learns Not to Waste video (PK) teaches you how to save water and energy, and not waste food (KidsFlix).
• The Ecosystem video (PK, E) teaches you what an ecosystem is (Happy Learning).
• Climate Change video (E) explains what climate change is (Smile and Learn).
• Earth Day Word Search (E) (Crayons & Cravings)
• What's the difference between weather and climate? video (E) (TEDEd)
• AirNow (E, M) offers teachers several air quality and air pollution lesson plans (AirNow).
• Teaching Kids to Conserve Energy at Home resources (E, M) provide teachers with several approaches to educate on energy conservation (EPA).
• Can wildlife adapt to climate change? video (H) (TEDEd)
• Carbon Cycle video (H) examines how carbon enters and interacts with the earth's atmosphere and living things (TEDEd).
• Connecting Ecosystems and Human Health lesson (H) includes several educational materials and activities to teach about how humans impact and are impacted by their surrounding environment (EPA).
• The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act lesson (H) includes a booklet about the law, how it impacts you and how it benefits the environment (EPA).

Hazardous Material Resources

• Scott The Recycle Guy - Household Hazardous Wastes video (E, M) teaches you what hazardous material is, why it can be dangerous, and how to safely dispose of it (dphilms).
  • Note: While this video is set in Scott County, Johnson County has a similar facility that accepts hazardous material at no cost from Johnson County residents. In addition, the Iowa City Landfill houses a product exchange room called the "Swap Shop" where residents can get gently-used products at no cost.
• Symbols and Placards on Hazardous Products video (H) explains what the different symbols mean on hazardous products you may have in your home (iHASCO).
• Why Dispose of Household Hazardous Materials (HHMs) Properly video (H) educates on the negative impacts of improper disposal of hazardous material, and about how you can properly and safely handle and dispose of them (Iowa DNR).
  • The local Hazardous Material Collection Facility at the Iowa City Landfill is where residents of Johnson County can take hazardous material at no cost.

Waste Reduction Resources

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Song video (PK) is a fun, musical way to learn how to reduce waste (Silly School Education).
• Recycling video (PK) with Peppa Pig teaches you what recycling is and what types of things can be recycled (Edinburgh Recycle).
• Reuse and Recycle to Reduce Waste! video (PK) teaches you how to reuse and recycle lots of different stuff (Counting with Paula).
• Garbage video (PK) shows that a lot of stuff ends up in the trash that could have been reused, recycled, or composted (Loop Scoops).
• Recycle City (E): This program offers students an interactive experience as they tour a sustainable community. They will learn how Recycle City is working hard to recycle, reduce energy use, and be more sustainable (EPA).
• How Does a Landfill Work? (M, H) video provides an overview of how a landfill cell is built and how it operates to ensure environmental protection (City of Iowa City).
• What’s a smartphone made of? video (M, H) (TEDEd)
• The Lifecycle of a T-shirt video (M, H) provides a glimpse into the major environmental impacts of one t-shirt (TEDEd).
• A Brief History of Plastic video (M, H) covers how plastic was invented, how plastic production became successful, and environmental impacts (TEDEd).

Water Resources

• The Water Cycle video (PK) teaches you how water moves across land and in air (Peekaboo Kidz).
• Freddy the Fish Teaches About Stormwater video (PK, E) teaches you what stormwater is and where it goes (NCTCOG E&D).
• Water Pollution video (PK, E) teaches you about how water gets dirty and why that is harmful to the environment (learning junction).
• Water Cycle video (E) teaches you how water is constantly moving over land and through the atmosphere (Happy Learning).
• Exploring Your Watershed Lesson (E) includes outlined activities to learn about watersheds with a teacher's guide included (EPA).
• Acid Rain Teacher's Guide (M) includes several lessons about the impacts of acid rain, how you can make a difference, and experiments (EPA).
• How Do Water Treatment Plants Work? video (M, H) teaches you about where your tap water comes from and how it is cleaned for safe drinking (Concerning Reality).
• How Do Wastewater Treatment Plants Work? video (M, H) teaches you about what happens to the water that flows down the drain or flushes down the toilet (Concerning Reality). Additional wastewater treatment resources:
  • Why flushable wipes shouldn't go in the toilet video (City of Iowa City)
  • How Do Sewer Systems Work? video (Concerning Reality)
• Where Does Stormwater Go? video (H) teaches you about urban stormwater management (Practical Engineering).

2025 Events Recap

The Art and Craft Supplies Pop-up Events, a partnership between the City of Iowa City and Dreamwell Theatre, were held from August 7 to 10, 2025 at the East Side Recycling Center in Iowa City. Local residents and groups could donate usable art, craft, school, and upcycling supplies on Thursday and Friday (August 7 and 8) and pick up free supplies on Saturday and Sunday (August 9 and 10).

The main material categories included school supplies, sewing and knitting supplies, drawing and painting supplies, upcycling materials (such as egg cartons and metal tins), paper arts supplies, craft kits, and art books. 

In total, over 3,000 pounds of usable items were redistributed to artists, crafters, teachers, students, and organizations. Organizations that participated in the events included several local schools, theater groups, craft groups, youth groups, and more.

Events information by the numbers: 

• 721 pounds of school supplies redistributed
• 2,719 pounds of art and craft supplies redistributed 
• 102 donors
• 273 individuals picked up free supplies
• 31 organizations picked up free supplies

Keeping usable materials out of the Iowa City Landfill is a climate action goal in Iowa City. Event organizers would like to thank everyone that donated items, picked up items, or volunteered at the events. 

Overview

These pop-up exchange events are all about saving quality, new or gently-used art, craft, school, and upcycling supplies from being wasted. Johnson County community members and local organizations can donate quality, new, or gently-used items they no longer need or pick up items at no cost that they have a use for!

These events are meant to be a no-cost exchange space to keep quality materials in use and out of the landfill. Whether you have a new or partially used container of craft paint or surplus yarn from a sweater knitting project, this program is for you. 

Accepted Items List

Partially-consumed and gently-used items are accepted for donation, but they must be in good condition and ¾ of contents remaining.

• Art and craft supplies such as: 
  • Yarn  
  • Knitting and sewing supplies
  • Fabric (no tears, stains, or damage)
  • Crafting paper (colored, patterned, cardstock, etc.)
  • Pencils (colored, writing, drawing, etc.)
  • Markers and crayons
  • Paint (less than two years old and ¾ of contents remaining)
  • Paintbrushes (unused or gently-used only)
  • Crates or storage boxes 
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Ribbon and string 
  • Popsicle sticks 
  • Buckets and organizer bins
• School supplies such as:
  • Folders
  • Blank notebooks
  • Binders
  • Pens and pencils
  • Rulers
  • Paperclips, rubberbands, and twist ties
• Materials for upcycling projects such as supplies of egg cartons, brown paper bags, tins (such as Altoids® tins), maps, containers (with or without lids), nails and screws, etc. 

Questions? Please reach out to the City’s Recycling Coordinator at jwilch@iowa-city.org or 319-887-6110. 

Iowa City community members make a difference with plastic waste reduction actions

In July 2025, Iowa City celebrated plastic waste reduction with an education program that invited community members to participate in action steps to reduce use of single-use plastic. 

Over 120 community members pledged to reduce plastic use and tracked waste reduction actions each week in July. In total, 3,234 actions were completed by participants. Here is a further breakdown of actions: 

• Say “no thank you” to plastic straws at food establishments: 120 actions
• Bring a reusable container with you when dining out to take home any leftovers: 40 actions
• Use a reusable water bottle daily: 588 actions
• Use a reusable mug for coffee or tea: 514 actions
• Use reusable bags when shopping: 340 actions
• Opt for loose produce at the grocery store or use a reusable produce bag: 198 actions
• Purchase plastic-free options for your laundry detergent: 119 actions
• Use wool dryer balls as an alternative to plastic-based dryer sheets: 247 actions
• Opt for soap bars instead of shower gel: 385 actions
• Try a shampoo bar for hair washing:109 actions
• At home, choose reusable options to store the leftovers instead of plastic wrap: 466 actions
• Other actions: 108 actions

Why focus on waste reduction? 

Most plastic is not recyclable or difficult to recycle. Even recyclable plastic can only be recycled a few times before it can no longer be recycled and needs to be landfilled. Plastic makes up about 14% of the materials going into the Iowa City Landfill. This equates to over 18,000 tons of plastic waste every year. The best thing we can do is to reduce our use of plastic by using reusable or alternative materials.

Actions to Reduce Plastic Use

Use a reusable water bottle daily. 

• Always bring a reusable water bottle with you. This reduces your use of single-use, disposable bottles. When you practice this daily, this saves a significant amount of waste over time!

Use a reusable mug for coffee or tea.

Use reusable bags when shopping.

• Keep a few reusable bags with you so you are ready when shopping or running errands. If you bring a full reusable bag into the house to empty groceries or supplies out of, place the empty bag back by the door you plan to leave from so that you don’t forget to take your bag.
• When shopping, ask yourself, “Do I need a bag?” If you are purchasing just one or two items, could you possibly carry them out with no bag? 

Say “no thank you” to plastic straws at food establishments.

• Go straw-less or bring your own reusable straw.

Bring a reusable container with you when dining out to take home any leftovers.

• Keep an empty, clean reusable food container with you in your purse, backpack, or car. This way, you are ready whenever you go out to eat to take your leftovers home with you. This ensures your leftovers get eaten and avoids packaging waste from not having to use a disposable take-out container. 

Opt for loose produce at the grocery store or use a reusable produce bag. 

• Pre-packaged produce generates a lot of plastic packaging waste and does not allow you to choose your quantity. If you prefer to place loose produce items into a bag, consider getting a reusable produce bag such as these options. With loose produce offering the ability to choose your quantity, you also help to reduce food waste by only buying what you need. 

Consider plastic-free options for your laundry. 

• Laundry detergent sheets, pods, and powders all have options packaged in non-plastic materials, such as paper. 
• Wool dryer balls are a great alternative to plastic-based dryer sheets, as they are natural, reusable, and cut down on drying time. 

Consider plastic-free options for your bathroom. 

• Opt for soap bars instead of shower gel. 
• Try a shampoo bar for hair washing.

Have leftovers from a home-cooked meal? Choose reusable options to store the leftovers. 

• Reusable food storage containers are a great option to organize meal-size portions. 
• If leftovers are on a dinner plate, flip a second dinner plate over the top as an easy way to create a cover instead of using a piece of plastic wrap.  

Learn more about the Plastic Free July^® international program: www.plasticfreejuly.org

 Plastic Free July^® is an international program that has encouraged individuals and communities to address plastic waste solutions.

• Fix an air conditioner. (Family Handyman)
• Fix a dryer. (Family Handyman)
• Fix a leaking refrigerator. (Bob Vila)
• Get rid of odor in the dishwasher. (Bob Vila)
• Get rid of odor in the washing machine. (Bob Vila)
• Clean grime and residue for microwave interior. (This Old House)
• Remove a clog from a garbage disposal. (Bob Vila)

• Replace a burnt-out headlight bulb. (AutoZone)
  • Is your old bulb an LED? Recycle it!
• Remove dents from car exterior. (Car and Driver)

• Repair an unstable or wobbly toilet. (This Old House)
• Clear a clogged drain pipe. (This Old House)
• Keep rust stains from developing in your plumbing. (This Old House)
• Quiet a loud faucet. (This Old House)
• Repair a running or broken toilet. (This Old House)
• Repair a toilet leak. (This Old House)

• Realign or fix a crooked wheel. (Flat Bike)
• Adjust bike gears. (Bike Radar)
• Fix a flat tire. (REI)

• Resources: 
  • Resource
  • The Quirky Environmentalist
  • Repair What You Wear

• Repair and care for wood furniture. (This Old House)
• Repair and care for outdoor/patio furniture. (This Old House)
• Fix and care for a leather chair. (This Old House)
• Repair blistering in veneer top of tables, desks, and more. (This Old House)
• Fix a sticky drawer. (Family Handyman)
• Remove odors from and clean upholstered furniture. (Family Handyman)

• Clean a scorched pan. (City of Iowa City)
• Remove pan stains. (City of Iowa City)
• Maintain a cast iron skillet. (City of Iowa City)
• Remove scratches on plates. (I Fix It)
• Clean and polish tarnished silverware. (The Spruce)
• Repair and care for a butcher block counter. (This Old House)
• Restore and care for kitchen countertops. (Bob Vila)