Thirteen residents became Porter County Master Recycler interns at a recognition event held recently by Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction.
From Valparaiso, residents who completed the comprehensive six-week class included: Sharon Angelina, Brett Dahlgren, Edward Engelsen, Heidi Koselke, ReBecca O. Stauffer, and Dale Sandquist. Renae DePerio and Fayellen Forsythe from Portage; Adam Kruse and Ryan Lisek from Crown Point; Andre Manzo from Winfield; Joe Miller from Burns Harbor; and Deborah Smith from LaCrosse also completed the coursework.
The new interns committed to complete 30 volunteer hours to help increase waste reduction awareness in and earn their Master Recycler Certifications.
The Porter County Master Recycler program, a multi-week class sponsored by the Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction since 2014, provides a comprehensive overview of reducing waste in Porter County that includes information on the district, what to recycle, how to reduce waste, backyard and large scale composting, vermicomposting and household hazardous waste. The class features field trips to the Newton County landfill, Homewood Disposal, Metro Recycling, the Valparaiso compost site and Pratt Industries.
The purpose of the program is to create a volunteer pool of knowledgeable residents who inspire and educate others in their communities to reduce waste in the home and at work. Anyone who lives or works in Porter County and is interested in the next class can register on the district's website, www.PorterCountyRecycling.org. For more information, call 465-3819.
Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle.