On a crisp Wednesday morning, the air at the Ecology Center’s recycling facility in Berkeley buzzed with the energy of young environmentalists in the making. Oxford Elementary’s Teacher Jacqueline Omania’s fifth-grade class filed off their bus, brimming with curiosity. For eleven years, different students from this zero-waste classroom have made the journey to learn where recyclables go after the blue bin — and this year marked their teacher’s final tour before retirement.
A zero-waste classroom aims to make no extra landfill trash. Students plan ahead to avoid unnecessary waste, prioritize reuse, and carefully compost or recycle what remains. It’s a practice that goes beyond school walls, shaping lifelong habits and influencing families and communities.
A Legacy of Recycling Leadership
Greeting the students was Lidia, the Ecology Center’s Recycling Education Program Coordinator, alongside Zohe Slack and Dylan Thompson from the City of Berkeley. They began with a powerful presentation on Berkeley’s trailblazing role in environmental innovation: the nation’s first curbside recycling program, launched by the Ecology Center in 1973.
Lidia explained how this local initiative became a model replicated nationwide and how the work continues to evolve through innovations like split can/split stream collection, which keeps materials cleaner and more recyclable. “Recycling has come a long way, but we’re still pushing the boundaries,” she said. “What happens here in Berkeley often sets the example for the rest of the country.”
A Walk Through the Recycling Stream
Next, Jerman Figueroa, from our partners at Community Conservation Centers, led the class through their facility, giving students a rare, up-close view of the entire recycling process – from truck drop to bale. The students watched as glass was sorted by color, explored the paper processing line, and followed the conveyor belt carrying plastics to be compacted into bales.
Stacks of plastic and tin waited to be shipped out for remanufacturing, each a tangible reminder of the material life cycle. The students peppered Aman with thoughtful questions and even offered suggestions on how households could recycle more effectively. “They’re so eager to learn and to do better,” Jerman said with a smile. “It gives me hope.”
The Ripple Effect of Youth Leadership
For Ms. Omania, the impact of these visits goes far beyond the classroom.
“Our students have a reverberating impact,” she said. “Their knowledge shapes their families’ choices, influences their peers, and ripples out into the wider world.”
Over the past decade, she has helped cultivate hundreds of young environmental stewards who now bring zero-waste practices into their everyday lives. Though this visit marked her last, she ensured the tradition would continue, inviting one of the school’s science teachers to carry the torch for future classes.
A Vision That Endures
For the Ecology Center, these tours are more than just a field trip; they’re an investment in a culture of sustainability. By showing young people exactly how materials move through the recycling system, the Ecology Center fosters awareness, responsibility, and leadership.
Even as Ms. Omania steps away from her annual visits, the lessons will continue to resonate – one student, one household, one community at a time. And the Ecology Center will be there to support with their commitment to reducing waste and protecting people and the planet.
To learn more about the Ecology Center’s recycling program and how you can get involved, visit ecologycenter.org/recycling.
