Current community recycling ambassadors

Find information for current Community Recycling Ambassador volunteers including volunteer opportunities and course files and presentations. 

Thank you for your continued efforts to help Hennepin County reduce waste and recycle more!

Fill out the Community Recycling Ambassador volunteer hours reporting form to report your hours spent volunteering.

Join the Facebook group.

Manual 

Community Recycling Ambassadors course manual – all chapters (PDF, 6MB)

Download manual chapters

• Introduction (PDF, 3MB)
• Chapter 1: Solid waste management (PDF, 2MB)
• Chapter 2: The recycling process (PDF, 5MB)
• Chapter 3: Food and organic wastes (PDF, 5MB)
• Chapter 4: Residential waste – consumption and the three Rs (PDF, 3MB)
• Chapter 5: Commercial waste reduction and recycling (PDF, 3MB)
• Chapter 6: Construction and demolition waste (PDF, 3MB)
• Chapter 7: Household hazardous waste and problem materials (PDF, 3MB)
• Chapter 8: Recycling at events (PDF, 2MB)
• Chapter 9: Engaging the public and motivating behavior change (PDF, 4MB) 

Volunteer opportunities

There are two ways to be notified of volunteer opportunities:

• Receive information of volunteer opportunities via the newsletter.
• Join the the Facebook group.

Report your hours

Many of you are doing great things in your communities to improve recycling and reduce waste in Hennepin County. Reporting your hours help us track your progress toward completing your 30 volunteer hours and becoming a certified Community Recycling Ambassador. It also helps us track the impact of the program.

Report your hours by filling out the Community Recycling Ambassador volunteer hours reporting form.

See the volunteer hours update (PDF, 1MB) to check your current hours (last updated in July 2026).

Resources

These resources help you do outreach or plan waste reduction and recycling programs.

• Hennepin County waste reduction highlights (PDF, 2MB)
• How to reduce wasted food and engage residents (PDF, 11MB)
• Environmental education items order form
  Order free factsheets, brochures and other items
• Environmental education kits and supplies
  Includes activity ideas, product examples and more that can be checked out for use at events or presentations
• Event recycling
  Reserve portable event recycling containers or access the zero waste planning checklist and green event resources
• Waste reduction and recycling
  Links to Hennepin County's waste reduction and recycling programs and information