Making a Difference

From Forest Grove to downtown Portland, St Johns to Canby and Sandy, more than 2000 Master Recyclers are making a difference wherever we are in the community.

We are members of community organizations and local businesses who are repairing, reusing, sharing, borrowing, using toxics-free products, saving food, recycling, and composting. We advocate that the State of Oregon, Metro and local jurisdictions find safe and just ways to protect our climate, reduce consumption, and conserve our natural resources.

Master Recyclers help neighbors, friends, family and co-workers take action by giving them information and connecting them to resources. 

 

Total solid waste disposed, recovered and generated

Solid waste disposed, recovered and generated measured in pounds of garbage vs (recycling, compost and burned for energy) per person per day.

Oregon has some work to do

In 2020, Oregon recovered 42.1 percent of the waste generated – That is a 4.4 percent increase from 2019.

Unfortunately, Oregonians also generated more waste. We:

  • Generated 5,960,805 tons of waste, up five percent from 2019 and

  • Disposed of 3,452,854 tons into landfills and incinerators, up 5.2 percent from 2019.

The State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) sets goals and evaluates how Oregon is doing. DEQ reports recovery rates every year. Every five years, DEQ conducts an analysis of what is in the garbage.

For you serious data hounds. View the full reports on the DEQ website.

 

Master Recyclers doing our part

Together we make a difference!

Thank you Master Recyclers! You reported a record high of 6400 hours in 2018-2019! Even during the limited social gathering of 2020 & 2021 we surpassed our goal and we are close to doing it again this year!   

It helps to have a volunteer corps of outreach workers to get the word out. Master Recyclers contribute about 3500 hours every year focusing on

Hours completed this year

Reaching our goal for 2021-2022
  • recycling

  • compost

  • repair, repurpose, swapping, sharing, reuse

  • food waste prevention

  • green building

  • toxics reduction

These passionate volunteers made almost 230,000 contacts in the community:

  • Set up the recycling/composting at gatherings where 59,500 people attended.

  • Lead projects at schools and work where 7,000 attend.

  • Promoted reuse of building materials, tiny houses and green remodeling to 52,500 people .

  • Promoted reuse, fixing, sharing and borrowing to 70,000 people.

  • Answered recycle and compost questions for 157,500 people

  • They encouraged 3,500 people to reduce toxics in their lives and work places.

 

Quarterly and annual reports

The program annual reports measuring its success. These reports demonstrate the high value Master Recycler volunteers offer local governments, community organizations and the individual volunteers themselves.

These reports provide periodic updates on program goals and metrics, outreach and communication strategies, current course attendee demographics, volunteer hours and details on events and individual projects where volunteer hours are dedicated. The reports provide updates on program goals and metrics, outreach and communication strategies, current course attendee demographics, volunteer hours and details on events and individual projects where volunteer hours are dedicated.

Master Recycler Annual Report 2020-2021

Master Recycler Half Yearly Report 2021-2022