“I really had no idea what happens to the stuff I put in my recycling bin after it gets hauled away. “I always wondered, where does it go?
Julianne Kumar is part of Kent County’s first Master Recycler Course.
“How is it sorted? How is it processed? Does it actually get turned into things that people want?”
The three-week program provides residents with an in-depth, behind-the scenes look at the county’s waste systems.
“It includes sort of classroom instruction time, but also tours of the facilities, and it's just really satisfying to see what actually happens, and to get a little more familiar with, okay, here's how I recycle this or here's how I can tell someone they can recycle that.”
Waste Reduction Educator Emma Dillman hopes to build a network of community leaders who can drive local change in their own neighborhoods and businesses.
“One of the questions that were asked most often is: is recycling actually happening? There's a lot of misinformation out there that maybe recycling isn't as efficient as we're being told, or maybe it's all going to the landfill and it's not happening at all. I really want people to know that recycling is real. It is happening in our community. It is a trusted process.”
Dillman emphasizes the goal isn't "perfect" recycling, but avoiding major problem materials and a willingness to continue to learn.
Future Master Recycler and companion Master Composter program schedules are posted on the county website and social media.
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