Are you ready to go beyond basic recycling? Marion County has just the course for you.
The Marion County Master Recycler Program provides expert instruction to people who live and work in Marion County. The class covers all aspects of solid waste management and ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible.
"Many folks wonder why we have an entire class on recycling," said Bailey Payne, Waste Reduction Coordinator for the County. "But once they get into the class, they discover that we cover a lot more information than simply what can be recycled."
Those things include: how do commercial operations actually separate materials that are all mixed together in those blue roll carts; why all plastics are not alike; how does food waste get composted; and, where does all the garbage go if it doesn't go to a landfill.
The course, which runs for seven weeks, will be held on seven consecutive Thursday evenings from September 21 through November 2, 2017. The class also includes two Saturday fieldtrips to eleven local sites that the public seldom gets to see, such as the Covanta Energy-from-Waste facility, the Garten Services recycling center, and a commercial compost operation.
For more information about the class, people should visit the Marion County website at http://MCRecycles.net, or contact staff by email at environmentalservices@co.marion.or.us or by phone at (503) 365-3191. The course is limited to 30 students and space is limited. Registration closes on Monday, September 11, 2016. The class costs $25 and students must agree to complete 30 hours of relevant volunteer service upon completion.
Over 700 people have participated in the program which was first offered in Marion County in 1994. Collectively graduates from the class have contributed over 10,000 hours to educate the community about solid waste issues.
