Calling all volunteers! EarthWays is in need of Zero-Waste Ambassadors in 2018 to help keep Garden Events nearly landfill-free, one of the major waste diversion goals of our signature events.
One of the hallmarks of Garden Events every year is an incredibly small waste footprint, even as attendance has grown. Thanks to the intrepid volunteers who staff the Recycle-Compost-Landfill stations, recognizable by their red-yellow-green tents, and just a bit of digging through trash, Garden Events regularly send next-to-zero waste to the landfill. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions, allows valuable materials to be reused, and helps turn food scraps and service ware into soil that returns to the Garden! Without volunteers, the Garden could not compost or recycle as effectively, and we need YOU! If you’re looking for a way to make a difference, learn a bit more about our waste streams, or even simply enhance your enjoyment of Chinese Culture Days, Green Living Festival, Japanese Festival, or Best of Missouri Market, consider joining us for a training.
Getting started is simple! Attend our more general “Recycling 101” class on April 9 (click here to register for this class) or by volunteering for one of our workshops in April, June, August, and September (click here to register for a workshop). This is an opportunity for new volunteers as well as returning ones who want a bit of a refresher on what can be recycled or composted, and why. Once you go through the training, you will be totally equipped to volunteer at any of the Garden’s big events. You’ll also gain some valuable knowledge to bring back to your own community—as an Ambassador, you can advocate and educate not just at the Garden but at your home, neighborhood, work, congregation, or organization.
If you’re interested in Sustainability, this is a perfect way to start getting involved—waste is something that we can see, touch, and smell, and with your guidance, you can have a huge impact by making sure there’s less of it. The trainings and the events are great for groups, scouts, kids, and adults—the commitment is what you make of it, and sustainability is for everyone. Americans generate 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day, and recycle and compost only 1.5 pounds of that—just over one third! By becoming a Zero-Waste Ambassador, you can help change the culture.