Make the Most of Your Food Scraps!
We have an important unsung hero helping our region fight climate change and turn food scraps into a renewable resource: Bacteria!
These little guys create fantastic fertilizer, whether they are in your backyard compost pile, a commercial compost facility where our residential food scraps go or a technical bio digester like JC Bio where most of our region’s commercial food scraps end up.
Food scrap collection is expanding to new cities!
Master Recycler June Gatherings
Master Recycler Tabling Training and Refresher Night For Everyone
Metro, Room 370, 600 NE Grand
Thursday June 2, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Feeling a little rusty? Want a little more practice? Or perhaps you want to explore a new table you haven’t volunteered with before.
Get hands-on training for the (all new) Portland CAN: Save Food kit, Gresham and Washington County Eat Smart, Waste Less kits and the Resourceful PDX kit.
Regional program coordinators will lead the training. Refreshments will be provided!
RSVP: Bill Beamer
Spread the Word!
Appreciations
Welcome Class 62!
Master Recyclers are eager to welcome the new folks from Class 62 who graduated on May 18th! Thank you to Clackamas County for hosting the class in your beautiful LEED Certified facility. And thanks to Sharon Ivy for surprising her fellow classmates with awesome cupcakes to help celebrate!
New Centurion
Kris LaMar gives a worm bin demonstration.
A big thanks to Kris LaMar (Class 53) who volunteered her 100th hour by presenting to Class 62 on worm bins and backyard compost. Kris brings a delightful combination of smarts and gritty dry humor to every volunteer hour. Kris and her worms have been to schools and farmers markets, senior facilities and women's correctional facilities. Congratulations and thank you Kris, for reaching your new status as a Master Recycler Centurion!
New Certified Master Recycler
Congrats and thanks to Meg Miller (Class 20) for becoming a Certified Master Recycler. When Meg saw an article in her HOA newsletter by Master Recycler Bob Kravitz (Class 60), it revitalized her interest.
The two of them are now a dynamic recycling duo! They offered technical assistance and presentations for several SW multifamily communities, and in particular for Terwilliger Plaza. They are also working on making changes around their Forest Heights business community and set up a table at the Forest Heights Farmer's Market. It just shows you can find a friend in the Master Recycler community even long after your class!
Bob and Meg, and their good work.
Volunteer Opportunities
All Wednesdays Forest Grove Farmers' Market
All Saturdays Gresham Farmers' Market
May
28 Saturday Roseway Cleanup NE Portland
29 Sunday Orenco Farmers' Market (recycling table)
June
3 and 4 Friday and Saturday Rock the Block (Eat Smart, Waste Less) Rockwood
4 Saturday Hillsboro Cleanup (Greeter)
5 Sunday Milwaukie Farmers' Market (recycling table)
7 Tuesday West Linn Farmers' Market (recycling table)
9 Thursday Meals on Wheels (recycling presentation) Hillsboro
14 Tuesday Girl Scouts (recycling presentation) Tualatin
15 Wednesday Deadline to sign up for Celebrate Hillsboro (recycling table) on July 16
16 Thursday Creekside Commons (knock and talk) Tigard
18 Saturday Beaverton Farmers' Market (Eat Smart, Waste Less)
18 Saturday Repair Fair Hillsboro
18 and 19 Saturday and Sunday Pride NW (Healthy Homes table) downtown Portland
20 Monday West Linn Farmers' Market (recycling table)
21 Tuesday Twilight Tuesday at the Zoo (Be Cart Smart table)
22 Wednesday Bethany Farmers' Market (Eat Smart, Waste Less table)
23 Thursday North Plains Farmers' Market (Eat Smart, Waste less table)
26 Sunday Sunday Parkways (Resourceful PDX), N Portland
29 Wednesday Bethany Farmers' Market (Recycling table)
It's not too early to plan ahead: August 25-27 Festa Italiana (event recovery)
Conservation News
Sustainable Oregon 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton Portland, 1000 NE Multnomah St, Portland
June 8-10th
AOR's 38th annual conference & trade show, Sustainable Oregon is a three-day interactive learning experience featuring cutting-edge educational sessions and workshops, local and national experts and speakers, facility tours, valuable networking opportunities, and an awards program celebrating the achievements of Oregon’s recycling, reuse, and waste reduction businesses and leaders.
Sustainable Oregon provides stakeholders in Oregon’s recycling and waste prevention community with the knowledge and resources to address current challenges in the industry, implement and improve recycling programs, advocate for policies and initiatives that advance recycling and waste prevention, and support the development of a generation of professionals for whom sustainability is a core tenant of their work and life philosophy.
LESS IS MORE: GETTING TO ONE CAN OF GARBAGE A YEAR
June 15, 22, and 29
Now that you know all about recycling, come learn even more about reducing your impact. Since 2006, Betty and Jon Shelley have produced just one 35 gallon can of household garbage per year. Join the next session of their class Less is More: Getting to One Can of Garbage a Year and curb climate change instead of your garbage!
Job Opportunities
Metro Solid Waste Communications Supervisor
Metro is looking for an experienced communications-oriented leader to supervise a work team that helps inform and engage the public in protecting the Portland region's clean air and water, managing the region's garbage and recycling system and helping people waste less.
Resource Recycling Reporter/Writer
Investigate, research and report on recycling and waste management news relevant to recycling businesses and organizations.
Free Geek Executive Director
Seeking an innovative and collaborative leader energized by our mission with experience as an executive who will foster continued growth and success. Our Executive Director (ED) will be a passionate, credible, and articulate advocate for Free Geek’s mission, and is someone who leads by example and inspires support from both inside and outside the organization.
For more on these jobs and others, visit the Master Recycler Job Board...
Contributions to this month's newsletter include J Lauren Norris, Alicia Polacok and Wing Grabowski.