Solid Waste & Recycling created an educator guide- Don’t Waste It! It is an educator guide to waste management, recycling, composting, and waste reduction, which includes 11 lessons covering five themes: municipal solid waste, recycling, plastics, composting, and landfills.

Don’t Waste It! is for both formal and non-formal educators with lessons for pre-K to 12th graders that can easily be adapted for adult audiences. Each lesson includes a group activity, independent practice, extensions, and additional activities. View a list of the lesson descriptions.

You can only receive a copy of Don’t Waste It! by attending a full day or online workshop. The workshop will provide a base of knowledge needed to teach each lesson and run through many of the lessons. See below for the list of upcoming workshops.

There are additional activities included in Don't Waste It! that are available for free online through the Educator Check Out Program. They are great to pair with lessons or do on their own, but are not correlated to standards.

Chatham County partnered with Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) and received an Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Education grant to expand Don't Waste It! to other states in the Southeast- Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. Contact Shannon Culpepper to connect you to other states.

Contact Shannon Culpepper, Recycling and Education Specialist at shannon.culpepper@chathamcountync.gov or (919) 545-7874.

Don't Waste It! is a North Carolina Environmental Educators Criteria I workshop. Workshop participants can receive Criteria I hours or continuing education units (CEUs).

The Don't Waste It! guide is being updated to include more lessons and activities. Upcoming workshops will reflect the updated guide.

Carolina Beach State Park
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
$35.00
Register by March 31- https://dontwasteitcarolinabeach040826.eventbrite.com
This workshop is a part of the Environmental Education Workshop Week at Carolina Beach State Park. 

We are able to hold Don’t Waste It! workshops anywhere in North Carolina. Those interested in hosting a workshop in your area please contact Shannon Culpepper- Recycling and Education Specialist at 919-545-7874 or shannon.culpepper@chathamcountync.gov.

Workshop Cancellation- If you need to cancel your registration, you must contact the facilitator or Shannon Culpepper at least one week prior to the workshop date. Credit will be offered to attend a future Don't Waste It! workshop. Refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

As a part of the Don't Waste It! educator guide, Chatham County Solid Waste & Recycling has created an Educator Check Out Program. We know that educators are not always able to gather the materials needed for lessons and activities, so we have a set of supplies available for each lesson for free.

Learn more about the Educator Check Out Program page.

 Solid Waste & Recycling has a new program for those Chatham County residents interested in learning more about recycling, waste reduction, composting, environmental justice, and want to participate in community engagement. The Waste and Recycling Enthusiast Program (WREP) includes a series of six classes on Thursday evenings in September and October.

Applications will open June 1 and close August 1. Learn more about WREP and how to sign up at www.chathamcountync.gov/wrep

If you have questions about WREP, please contact Anayancy Estacio, Education Program Coordinator, at anayancy.estacio@chathamcountync.gov or (919) 545-7866.