Saturday, October 13 was the final day of the tenth class of Master Recyclers. Six new people have now been accepted into this growing volunteer program. Please join us in congratulating Nancy Young, Patricia Moss, Judith Mills, Kristin Howitt, Anita O’Hagan, and Mindy Claflin on this accomplishment. “Our first class was in the fall of 2014,” states Sue Owens, Tillamook County Master Recycler Program Coordinator, “the program is growing with the added enthusiasm of each new class. There is a real bond forming between the members.”
During the 20-hour course, students learn to minimize the impacts of materials and learn strategies that build on the program’s mission statement of “educating our community on the environmental impacts of our daily decisions and to encourage people to rethink, repair, repurpose, and then recycle.”
Aspects relating to local material management efforts are emphasized with field trips to local sites of interest including each of the County’s three transfer stations, and City Sanitary Service. “There is a great deal of differences and similarities between these locations,” states Owens, “people are always surprised when they can be compared side-by-side this way.”
“This program has become a real asset to our department,” shares David McCall, Solid Waste Program Manager, “the hours these folks have donated cumulatively over the years has doubled this year, there are things happening now that wouldn’t be if they weren’t involved.”
The Master Recycler course is free to Tillamook County residents and in exchange, asks for a 30 hour volunteer commitment to the Solid Waste Department and the message of recycling. Currently there are no more classes scheduled, however, Owens states there are good chances there will be one in early 2019.
More information on the Master Recycler program can be found on the Solid Waste website at http://www.co.tillamook.or.us/gov/SolidWaste/MasterRecycler.htm or by contacting Owens at 503.815.3975.