Be a Reuse Influencer in Your Community
Two Oregon laws you should know—and share
Sea una persona influenciadora de la reutilización en su comunidad
Dos leyes de Oregón que conviene conocer —y compartir
Next Choose to Reuse Training - Clackamas
Do you want to promote reuse and reduce single-use waste in the restaurant industry?
Waste-Free Advocates is partnering with Metro’s Choose to Reuse campaign. We're organizing groups of volunteers to do in-person outreach to restaurants and spread the news that they can now accept customer-owned reusable containers!
Sign up for the virtual training on May 27th from 6:30-7:30. The training is a requirement to attend an In-Person Canvassing Event. If you already attended the March training, you don't need to attend again.
There are two canvassing options - you can choose to volunteer for either or both! We'll meet in Happy Valley on May 30th from 1:30-5pm and in Oregon City on June 14th from 1:30- 5pm. Snacks will be available. The training will be given in English, but bi-lingual skills are a plus for this volunteer opportunity - though not required.
Both the training and in-person canvassing count as Master Recycler volunteer hours.
Please contact director@wastefreeadvocates.org with any questions.
Please join us for the 2026 Clackamas County Master Recycler Kick-off Event!
We’d like to invite all Master Recyclers who volunteered in Clackamas County to an event to celebrate YOU. Come join us for a night of fun, food, and gratitude! We will also be recognizing those who certified, as well as those who reached milestone volunteer hours. We’ll play some trivia and also have resources and kits out so you can get a quick refresh and sign up for upcoming events. Come meet new Master Recyclers and get reacquainted with old friends.
Wednesday, May 27th
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Clackamas County Development Services Building
150 Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, Suite 119/120.
For all Master Recyclers who volunteered in Clackamas County
Enjoy food, meet other Master Recyclers, learn about new programs and get updates to existing programs.
Please RSVP to cjohnston@clackamas.us by Wednesday, May 22nd, so that we can properly prepare. A vegan option will be available.
Thanks for helping us out this year, and we hope you can make this fun event to celebrate YOU!
- Clackamas County’s Sustainability & Solid Waste Program
Tour Oregon’s Contamination Audit Center and a RecycleOn drop-off center!
Join fellow Master Recyclers from all classes at this special tour! Circular Action Alliance (CAA) Oregon is the approved Producer Responsbility Organization (PRO) for the state. They have established a centralized contamination audient center to analyse recycling data and reduce contaminants. They have invited us to come check it out, along with a RecycleOn Drop-Off Center!
Contamination Audit Center Tour
Saturday, July 11th, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
COR Disposal
4530 NE 138th Ave., Portland
Space is limited to 30 people.
To sign up, go onto Better Impact and look on July 11th. The event is titled “Tours Outside the Class”.
Assist with Lincoln High School’s Reusable Utensil Pilot Program!
Master Recycler Chau Phan Mende (Class 63) is assisting this student-led project and they need your help!
A Message from the Students: Did you know that a single high school can discard thousands of disposable utensils in a single week? The Lincoln HS EJC Team is working to do our part to change that system! We are launching a pilot project to replace plastic utensils with reusable ones, using grant funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF).
We NEED volunteers to help out with our transition to reusable utensils!!! We are seeking adult volunteers to bring in bins of utensils after lunch, so staff can clean them. Though this is a STUDENT LED/BASED project, we need YOUR help to succeed.
Request: Volunteers to help supervise the process and get bins collected after lunch. This involves making sure students understand the process, that no silverware gets thrown away, and making sure the bins get to the dishwashing area in the cafeteria.
Time Commitment: Volunteers are needed for a 30 minute time block between 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. For the 2026-27 school year, we need volunteers from our kickoff week of April 13th, 2026 until the week of June 1, 2026. You do not need to commit to that entire time!
Other Details: We will host a short training prior to kickoff week so volunteers feel confident about managing the process.
We can't wait to see the impacts of this project!! Thank you for your interest and we hope to see see you soon!
This is an ongoing project with plenty of opportunity to help.
Washington County’s Volunteer Appreciation Event
In English: A note from Ricardo Palazuelos
Washington County held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Event at PCC’s Willow Creek Campus the last week of April. Over 65 volunteers supporting County programs such as the Medical Reserve Corps, Juvenile Department Therapy Dogs, and of course, groups supporting the Solid Waste & Recycling division such as the Repair Fair, Garbage and Recycling Advisory Committee, and Master Recyclers/Promotores Ambientales volunteers.
Volunteers heard from County officials, program coordinators updating opportunities, as well as enjoying some really good live music and an amazing catered buffet with seasonal, locally-sourced foods.
Sharon, Maria, Milka, Lilian, Karina, Amalia, and Sergio were among the lucky ones who won a Themed Basket during the raffle session. Overall, it was good to see many of you here and hopefully we will see more of you in the near future as we plan our joint Beaverton/WashCo Master Recycler/Expertas-os en Reciclaje appreciation event. Stay tuned for more information.
For now, as you might have seen in your respective areas, Farmers’ Markets and Spring/Summer events are starting to open up and, for us that means busy times in community. Thanks for all you do in support of the complex world of waste materials management.
Evento de reconocimiento a los voluntarios del condado de Washington
En español: Una nota de Ricardo Palazuelos
El Condado de Washington celebró su evento anual de Apreciación a Voluntarios en el campus de Willow Creek de PCC esta última semana de abril. Hubo más de 65 voluntarios apoyando programas del Condado como el Cuerpo de Reservas Médicas, los perros de terapia del departamento Juvenil, y por supuesto apoyando a la División de Residuos Sólidos y Reciclaje como son a las Ferias de Reparación, el Comité Asesor en Basura y Reciclaje y Master Recyclers/Promotores Ambientales.
Las y los voluntarios escucharon a oficiales del Condado, coordinadores de los varios programas ofreciendo actualizaciones así como disfrutaron de buena música en vivo y un buffet delicioso con comida de temporada y con productos locales.
Sharon, Maria, Milka, Lilian, Karina, Amalia y Sergio ganaron una de las canastas temáticas durante las sesiones de la rifa. Fue muy bueno poder ver a algunos de Uds. y espero que podamos verles en un futuro cercano ya que la Ciudad de Beaverton y el Condado de Washington estamos planeando nuestro evento de reconocimiento a Master Recyclers y Expertas-os en Reciclaje. Manténganse en sintonía para obtener más información.
Por ahora, y como ya lo habrán visto en sus áreas, los mercados de agricultores y eventos de primavera/Verano están comenzando y esto, para nosotros significa una oportunidad más de visitar a nuestras comunidades. Muchas gracias a todas/os Uds. por todo el apoyo que nos prestan para tratar de aclarar dudas en este complejo sistema de la gestión de materiales de desperdicio.
New Way to Log Your Hours and Sign Up for Events! (old way going away July 1st)
If you are just tuning in now that it’s “volunteer season,” you may not know that we are switching to a new software for logging your hours and signing up for events.
Over 200 of you have already signed in and have started using it (up from 160 last month). Thank you!
We still have 218 of you who have volunteered within the last 3 years who have not logged in yet (yes, I know who you are!).
Please check your spam for the welcome email from me with your temporary username and password, along with instructions to the guides to get you started. It was sent from masterrecycler@oregonmetro.gov.
Now is a great time to log in and check it out, given we have lots of opportunities this month!
Having any issues logging in? Email Stacy at masterrecycler@oregonmetro.gov.
Appreciations / Agradecimientos
CERTIFIED / CERTIFICADOS
These Master Recyclers have reached 30 hours and are now officially certified!
¡Estos Expertas/os en Reciclaje han llegado a las 30 horas y ahora están oficialmente certificados!
Brett Stern is the first from Class 96 to certify as a Master Recycler! He reached his 30 hours by organizing donation drop offs at Community Warehouse, participating in their Chair Affair fundraiser, fixing Kitchen Aid mixers with RepairPDX, and volunteering for the mental recycling program at Habitat for Humanity. Thank you, Brett, for all your work! I hope to see you continue volunteering :)
¡Brett Stern es el primero de la Clase 96 en certificarse como Experto en Reciclaje! Completó sus 30 horas organizando entregas de donaciones en Community Warehouse, participando en su evento de recaudación de fondos *Chair Affair*, reparando batidoras KitchenAid con RepairPDX y haciendo voluntariado en el programa de “reciclaje mental” de Habitat for Humanity. ¡Gracias, Brett, por todo tu trabajo! Espero verte seguir haciendo voluntariado :)
Brett Stern’s Chair Affair Chair - Before
Brett Stern’s Chair Affair Chair - After
“Instead of a photo of me, I’d like to submit a related project. Since graduating from class I've been working to locate housewares/home furnishing for Community Warehouse with over 7,000 lbs. of donations to date of stuff for reuse and not landfilled. They have an annual fundraiser called Chair Affair where they have artists decorate a child’s chair. I chose what was a 100 year old solid mahogany child's size chair that was broken and quite worn. I repaired/refurbished with paint and gold foil leaf. The event raised $26,000. My chair was sponsored by Neil Kelly, a local company that provides custom home building and remodeling services. All the chairs are then returned to Community Warehouse furniture banks and a child gets to take home.” - Brett Stern
En lugar de una fotografía mía, me gustaría presentar un proyecto relacionado. Desde que terminé el curso, he estado trabajando para conseguir artículos para el hogar y mobiliario para Community Warehouse, logrando reunir hasta la fecha más de 7.000 libras en donaciones: objetos destinados a ser reutilizados en lugar de acabar en un vertedero. Ellos organizan un evento anual de recaudación de fondos llamado *Chair Affair*, en el que invitan a diversos artistas a intervenir y decorar una silla infantil. Yo elegí una silla de tamaño infantil de caoba maciza —de unos 100 años de antigüedad— que se encontraba rota y bastante deteriorada. La reparé y restauré utilizando pintura y pan de oro. El evento logró recaudar 26.000 dólares. Mi silla fue patrocinada por Neil Kelly, una empresa local dedicada a la construcción de viviendas a medida y a los servicios de remodelación. Posteriormente, todas las sillas regresan a los bancos de muebles de Community Warehouse para que algún niño pueda llevársela a casa. — Brett Stern
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
The Volunteer Calendar has moved onto Better Impact. You can view it by logging in and clicking on Opportunities at the top.
Did not receive your better impact login? Email Stacy at
masterrecycler@oregonmetro.gov
** Events marked with a double asterisk (**) below are events where you won’t be alone. Great if you are new to tabling or getting back to volunteering after a break!
Portland
**CullyClean Recycling & Sustainability Event - Tabling (recycling and/or green cleaners OR join Community Warehouse)
Saturday, May 16th, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
NE Portland — Self-led if tabling on recycling/green cleaners and you will need to pick up supplies.. Joining staff if tabling with Community Warehouse and you will not need to bring anything (outdoors)
Recycling Presentation to Students @ The Odyssey Program - Presentation (recycling)
Tuesday, May 19th, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (date flexible to meet your schedule!)
Downtown Portland — Self-led. You will need to pick up supplies. (indoors)
937 Condominiums Recycling Event - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, May 24th, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
SW Portland — Self-led. You will need to pick up supplies. (indoors)
**Community Service Network (CSN) Resource Fair - Tabling (recycling or reducing food waste)
Saturday, May 30th, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Outer SE Portland — Table with staff! (indoors)
**Earl Boyles Community Resource Fair - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, June 5th, 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm
SE Portland — Table with staff! (indoors)
**Foster Summer Soiree - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, June 13th, Shift One: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, Shift Two: 2:30 pm - 6:00 pm
SE Portland — Table with Master Recycler Mentor Jennifer Merrill! (outdoors)
East County
** Gresham Farmers Market - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, May 9th, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
Gresham Arts Plaza - Table with fellow Master Recycler Linda Acedo-Limbrick! (outdoors)
Clackamas County
Estacada’s Summer Safety Festival - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, May 3rd, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Estacada — Self-led. You will need to pick up supplies. (outdoors)
**Bilquist Elementary Safety and Community Outreach Night - Tabling (green cleaners)
Tuesday, May 14th, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Milwaukie — Table with staff! (indoors)
**RecycleOn Collection Event
Saturday, May 16th, 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Wilsonville — Educate public on what is accepted in the RecycleOn Program (outdoors)
Community Environmental Stewardship Event - Tabling (reducing food waste)
Saturday, May 16th, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Wilsonville — Self-led. You will need to pick up supplies. (indoors)
**Molalla Family Fun and Resource Fair - Tabling (recycling)
Saturday, June 13th, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Molalla — Table with staff! (outdoors)
Beaverton / Washington County
** WashCo Repair Fair - Beaverton
Saturday, June 5th, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Beaverton City Library – (indoors)
You can go ahead and sign up here instead of on Better Impact.
ONLINE
No Events