Seeking a knowledgeable volunteer? 

Master Recyclers make up a volunteer corps trained to conduct outreach on waste prevention, recycling, greener cleaners, food waste, climate change and compost/worm bins. To become a Certified Master Recycler, they must volunteer 30 education and outreach hours.

Master Recyclers can:

• Staff an information booth.

• Provide a presentation.

• Join as a board member.

• Join an event planning committee as the recovery planner.

• Plan and implement recycling, composting or waste prevention at an event with 50-8,000 attendees (it is recommended to hire a staff person if the event is larger or has multiple days).

• Train and supervise your volunteers and/or vendors to manage recycling and compost at your event.

• Join ongoing projects.

Because the mission of the program is outreach and education, Master Recyclers cannot stand at waste stations and direct participants to sort waste, nor can they haul waste or sort inventory as their primary role. To recruit volunteers to staff recycling stations, try Hands on Greater Portland, CNRG, Craig’s list, Volunteer Match, Idealist or other volunteer sites.

Master Recyclers choose the volunteer opportunities that best fit their schedules, locations, and interests. The program cannot guarantee that a volunteer will sign up for any particular event. The Master Recycler program notifies volunteers about opportunities through an electronic calendar, social media and direct emails.

If you would like to have a volunteer opportunity posted for Master Recyclers, please complete the request form below. 

Please note, we do not conduct a background check on Master Recyclers. You can indicate if you would like them to submit to a background check before volunteering.