Ecomaine offers recycling course, credential

Ecomaine offers recycling course, credential
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Portland, Maine-based Ecomaine is introducing a six-month guided curriculum available to people wishing to become a “master recycler” and a “certified ecomaineiac.” The coursework offers insight into “proper recycling practices, industry markets, policies and advocacy and waste reduction” says the not-for-profit recycling group.

Ecomaine says it created the course in response to a growing interest in recycling, composting, and sustainable waste management, and compares it to master gardener programs designed to create a network of trained horticulturists.

“It’s our hope that, with each group of ‘certified ecomaineiacs,’ we will see more and better ambassadors all around Maine who will advocate for long-term, sustainable solid waste solutions,” says Matt Grondin, Ecomaine’s communications manager. “We know Maine residents want to know ‘which bin to put things in,’ and by creating a network of informed recyclers, that knowledge can spread to their neighbors, friends and families.”

The course contains five chapters with activities that can be completed online, in participants’ homes, and around their own neighborhoods. ach unit ranges in theme, including: the “dos and don’ts” of recycling; the process of collecting, sorting, and marketing recyclables; local, state, and federal policies; and the value of recycling to the environment and the global supply chain.

“There’s so much interest in recycling, and recycling correctly,” says Vanessa Berry, an Ecomaine environmental educator and course moderator. “We want to give people the tools to really dive into it and make deeper connections with those materials that many people don’t give a second thought to.”

The course will start with new participants able to sign up each month. Participants will have six months to complete the program and will have access to Ecomaine’s education staff and resources along the way, says the group.

Ecomaine describes itself as a not-for-profit, recycling and waste-to-energy (WTE) operation that serves a third of the state’s population in 70 member communities. It offers single-sort recycling, organics and food waste programming, waste-to-energy, and an “ashfill” for its WTE residue.

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Source: Recycling Today
Ecomaine offers recycling course, credential
<![CDATA[Portland, Maine-based Ecomaine is introducing a six-month guided curriculum available to people wishing to become a “master recycler” and a “certified ecomaineiac.” The coursework offers insight into “proper recycling practices, industry markets, policies and advocacy and waste reduction” says the not-for-profit recycling group.Ecomaine says it created the course in response to a growing interest in recycling, composting, and sustainable waste management, and compares it to master gardener programs designed to create a network of trained horticulturists.“It’s our hope that, with each group of ‘certified ecomaineiacs,’ we will see more and better ambassadors all around Maine who will advocate for long-term, sustainable solid waste solutions,” says Matt Grondin, Ecomaine’s communications manager. “We know Maine residents want to know ‘which bin to put things in,’ and by creating a network of informed recyclers, that knowledge can spread to their neighbors, friends and families.”The course contains five chapters with activities that can be completed online, in participants’ homes, and around their own neighborhoods. ach unit ranges in theme, including: the “dos and don’ts” of recycling; the process of collecting, sorting, and marketing recyclables; local, state, and federal policies; and the value of recycling to the environment and the global supply chain.“There’s so much…