South Portland and Cape Elizabeth residents have been invited to register for a six-month “Master Recycler” course, announced ecomaine on Feb. 22.

According to a written statement from ecomaine, the online course, beginning in April, will help individuals become “certified ecomaineiacs” with education on proper recycling practices, industry markets, policies and advocacy, and waste reduction. A Portland-based nonprofit, ecomaine serves a third of Maine.

South Portland and Cape Elizabeth residents have been invited to register for a six-month “Master Recycler” course offered by ecomaine. For more information or to sign up for the program, call 523-3142 or visit ecomaine.org/tours-and-educational-outreach/master-recycler. Courtesy photo

“Like master gardener programs that create a network of trained horticulturists, ecomaine created the course in response to a growing interest in recycling, composting, and sustainable waste management,” said the organization.

According to ecomaine, a new cohort begins each month within the course.

“The course contains five chapters with activities that can be completed online, in participants’ homes, and around their own neighborhoods,” ecomaine said in an email. “Each unit ranges in theme, including: the ‘do’s 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.”

Vanessa Berry, ecomaine environmental educator and course moderator, said there is a lot of interest in recycling, as well as correctly recycling.

“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,” Berry said.

Communications Manager Matt Grondin said, “ecomaine wants to see more advocates for sustainability through the program.”

“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,” Grondin said “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.”

For more information or to sign up for the program, call 523-3142 or visit ecomaine.org/tours-and-educational-outreach/master-recycler.