Use materials that last! I still have the rags and hard plastic bottles I used in my high school classroom 10 years ago. How many bottles of wipes have you been through in that time?
Set up recycle bins and really emphasize their use.
Conduct a classroom trash audit as a lesson and implement strategies to reduce waste, re-doing the audit later in the year to demonstrate improvements. Compete with other classes to reduce the most waste!
Waste Audit that needs a scale (any grade)
Waste Audit without a scale (higher grades but can be simplified for younger grades)
Use bulk, concentrated cleaners in reusable hard plastic bottles and washable rags for surface clean-ups in lieu of wipes. It does not require much more work and you or a parent can volunteer to wash the rags every week at home.