Reusable Bags Action Toolkit
Provided by: Learning for a Sustainable Future|Published on: March 18, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts
Authors: Resources for Rethinking
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This Canada-based resource is a collection of activities about reusing, centered around an activity where students create reusable bags using old clothing.
- Students learn about the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, the importance of reducing and reusing over recycling, and the impact of plastic bags on people, animals, and the environment.
- Teachers can select from various activities to accompany the reusable bag project, such as an experiment, a school reuse/waste audit, journaling prompts, a thinking map, an art project, and a community education campaign.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students are taking action to be more sustainable and help protect the environment.
- Students will think critically, collaborate with peers, and showcase their creativity.
- The hands-on and interactive activities are engaging for elementary and middle school students.
Additional Prerequisites
- The activities are organized into five categories: SDG Connections, Preparatory Activities, Bag-Making Day, Follow-Up Activities, and Other Opportunities for Promoting Reuse. There are also two appendices: Background Information and Assessment Opportunities.
- This resource is also available in French.
- The lesson requires multiple class periods and can vary in length depending on the activities selected.
- Students will need old clothing and fabric glue for the main activity. Teachers should encourage students to bring old clothing from home but provide some for students if they cannot.
- A version of this toolkit for secondary students is available on the LSF website.
Differentiation
- The resource is created for use in Canada. If teachers in other countries want to use this toolkit, they will need to do background research on plastic bag use in their country and modify the reuse trivia to be specific to their country.
- The scope and length of this lesson are customizable, with teachers able to select which preparation and follow-up activities to use.
- The resource provides a list of multiple assessment options to use throughout the toolkit.
- Numerous extension and cross-curricular activities are available in the toolkit, which can connect this lesson to math, English language arts, social studies, and art.
- The resource provides discussion and reflection questions, which teachers can use as a whole class, with a partner, or individually.
- During the Make-A-Bag activity, teachers can reinforce the idea of limiting waste by encouraging students to come up with uses for the unused scrap fabric or create an alternative design that utilizes more of the old clothes.
This resource from Learning for a Sustainable Future teaches students about reuse, culminating in making a reusable grocery bag from old fabric. The resource highlights the UN Sustainable Development Goals and emphasizes that the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) are presented in the order they should be practiced. This resource features clear text, easily readable tables to outline each activity, and a wealth of linked sources that provide more information. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
