Become a Master Recycler!
Become a Master Recycler!
My county (Cuyahoga County in Ohio), has a great program called Master Recyclers. It’s a 9-week series of seminars and field trips where you learn all the nitty-gritty about how recycling works and how to do it properly. I did the program in 2019 and got to visit a Materials Recovery Facility (recycling sorting plant), a composting organization, an electronics recycling facility, a book salvage and more. It was fascinating and informative and allows you to join a community of like-minded sustainability-focused individuals. Interested?
I thought that my county’s program was unique, because up until last year, I had never even heard of anything like it. But once I started searching around on the internet, I discovered that there are actually lots of “Master Recycler” programs all around the country. The role of these programs is to help educate the public and created well-informed advocates to go out into the community, answer questions and spread the word. Just Google [your county’s name] and “Master Recycler” and see what comes up. If nothing currently exists in your locality, consider starting your own group and contacting your solid waste district to see if they will help you create something more formal.
[ Related: Recycling at a Materials Recovery Facility – How Does It Work? ]
Note: Some of these programs may be on hold due to coronavirus.
An Online Option for Becoming a Recycling Guru
If you don’t have access to a Master Recycler program near you, or if it doesn’t fit it into your schedule, Oregon State University has a self-paced online course called Recycling 101. It’s based on their successful Master Recycler program that has been going on since the early 1990s. I am currently taking it myself and it’s quite comprehensive. There’s plenty of useful information in it even if you don’t live in Oregon.
