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Master Recycler Opportunities
Wednesday September 9
Master Recyclers of Color Meetup
MROC meets on the second Wednesday of the month. This meet up is a space for any individual that identifies as a person of color (POC) interested in waste and recycling to convene and organize. Many of us have taken a Portland Metro Area Master Recycle course, but please note that any BIPOC can attend the meetings and enrollment or completion of the class is not required.
This an opportunity to bring those of us who work in the reuse/recycling/waste industry together. We'll share opportunities, resources, and challenges or just to commiserate about the industry. Participation counts toward your Master Recycler hours!
To RSVP and get a zoom link join the MROC Facebook group or the MROC Google Group.
Thursday September 24 6-7 p.m.
Clackamas County Happy Hour!
Join Clackamas staff and fellow Master Recyclers to catch up and say hello.
RSVP: Stacy Ludington SLudington@clackamas.us
Tuesday September 29, 6-8 p.m.
Webinar: How We Can Support Our Neighborhood Canners
Our neighbors who collect bottles and cans for a deposit play an important role in the collection and recycling of materials in our state. Learn more about what is called the "Informal Waste Sector” and how we can better support the workers in this sector.
Jo Davis, City of Portland, Coordinator on the Waste Equity Team
Ground Score is worker-led association for informal waste workers. Abby Herrera (Class 72) is a Master Recycler who volunteers there and Alexa is a member and a canner. They will share their experiences and new tools you can use to bring awareness in the community. You will also learn how you can get involved in the campaign.
Jo Davis is the Coordinator on the Waste Equity Team at the City of Portland. She will talk about the City’s project to explore policy and programs that could support canners.
RSVP MasterRecycler@portlandoregon.gov
Wednesday, Oct 14 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Sunday Parkways/Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Project Kick Off
Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Sunday Parkways are teaming up to offer a series of online content during the winter months. Join a team to help create this online presence focused on Eat Smart Waste Less (preventing food waste in the home), Resourceful PDX (resources to borrow and share, fix and repair) and Be Cart Smart (our home waste education program).
Some of the content could be live panels or short videos -or maybe you have other fun ideas you want to bring to the mix! This October meeting will be a brainstorming and planning meeting.
Join in if you would like to share your talents in
Writing scripts
Videography or video editing
or want to be the ‘On Air Talent’ or join an open Q&A panel
RSVP: Wing Grabowski Wing.Grabowski@portlandoregon.gov
Recycling Advocates and Rebuilding Center Seeking Board Members
Looking for a deeper commitment? Did you know it counts as Master Recycler hours to join the board of our any or the amazing reuse, recycling, and repair organizations in the region? In fact, two of them are currently recruiting new members. See the links to learn more:
Recycling Advocates is dedicated to engaging people in creating a sustainable future through local efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. They have several board positions open.
Rebuilding Center strives toward a vision of reuse and repair as cornerstones of a less extractive economy that prioritizes people and community sustainability over profit.
“Save the Date!
Regional Master Recycler Fall Online Gathering
Wednesday October 7
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. ”
Appreciations
Centurions
A huge "Thank you" to Kirk Rea (Class 67) who is now a Centurion Master Recycler. Centurion status happens when Master Recyclers complete over 100 hours and they are very special people!
Anyone who works with Kirk knows that he brings humor and fun to every project he works on. He's also really committed to sustainability, community and justice and always shows up for that work. In his first 30 hours as a Master Recycler, he worked with youth and families to find ways to use creative salvage ideas to meet furniture needs in the community, he offered demos on creative use at the ReStore, and actively offers himself as a resource on recycling and reuse at home and at work at City Repair. Lately, Kirk has been playing an active role in facilitating meet ups for BIPOC Master Recyclers (and other BIPOC activist in the reuse/recycling world) to meet, celebrate and commiserate. The group meets on the second Wednesday of every month and if you identify as a person of color, you are encouraged to join.
Certified Master Recyclers
We are celebrating two people this month for completing their 30 hour Master Recycler commitment.
Veverly Campbell (Class 76) signed up through the North by Northeast Community Health Center with an enthusiasm that is hard to match. She helped fellow classmate Sharetta Butcher reach out to Black churches to identify families that needed food, sanitizer and masks. They offered weekly food boxes to 20 families along with conversations about toxics, recycling, food, reuse and more. Veverly was also one of many members of Class 76 who helped at NxNE Health Center's Safe Home Healthy Homes event where people could drop off needles and unused medicine and pick up food and gardening starter kits. She is pictured on the left with fellow classmate, Billie Brock.
It is hard to know how to even begin to thank Sharetta Butcher (Class 76). She has such a strong vision and commitment to the community she serves at the North by Northeast Community Health Center. She regularly states that "Black health matters" and sees that toxics reduction, recycling, food waste, and climate is all connected with the health of the community. That's what Sharetta does. She makes connections. She connected with Metro to start a needle collection program at the Center and Safe Home Healthy Homes events. She connected with the Master Recycler Program to provide a community designed course for 22 members of the NxNE community and ongoing support so that they can successfully become Certified Master Recyclers. And that is all her day job! For her Master Recycler hours she talked with family members and neighbors about recycling. toxics, and food waste. She also organized a food box project through her church where she delivered food, sanitizer and conversations about food waste and recycling. Thank you Sharetta. You are so appreciated!! She is pictured in the center at a Safe Home Healthy Homes event.
Conservation News
Attending the Sustainable Oregon Conference is a long-standing tradition for those in the materials management industry, and this year will be no different. Except that it will be totally different!
This year, AOR is taking the conference to a virtual platform in order to continue to provide our members valuable educational and networking opportunities in these uncertain times.
Our virtual conference will span a 6-week period starting Tuesday, September 15th. Each Tuesday and Thursday we will bring to you a live webinar and in between we will host six informal networking “happy hours” on Wednesdays.
This is an amazing opportunity for everyone to view all of the sessions that would have been hosted at our in-person conference. Sessions will be made “evergreen” and available for viewing up to one year after the conference for all attendees. Learn more.
Two Open Gardens
in Southwest Portland
a fundraiser for Cracked Pots
1pm — 4pm • Saturday, September 5, 2020
$20 per person
tickets for sale online only through midnight, 9/3
Cracked Pots invites you to start your Labor Day weekend with a tour of two wildlife habitat gardens on Portland’s west side.
Both gardens are filled with garden art for sale created from recycled and repurposed materials.
One offers half an acre of woodland trails along with a sunny vegetable and flower garden; the other features the gardener’s imaginative use of space and detail.
Come celebrate, join with friends, and help support creative reuse in your Portland community!
Job Opportunities
Check the Master Recycycler Jobseekers Board for sustainability work. Here’s what you’ll find there now:
Metro Community Impact Capacity Building Coordinator
Several positions at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Nature Conservancy Climate Action Coordinator
Wild X BIPOC Lead Educator
Portland Clean Energy Fund two positions