Opportunities From: Spokane County Regional Waste Ambassadors

Join the Spokane County Regional Waste Ambassador Program!

Are you passionate about waste reduction and creating a sustainable future? The Spokane County Waste Ambassador program empowers community members to make a difference through improved practices, ongoing education, innovation, and volunteerism.

Click SIGN UP to see upcoming orientation session dates.

This program takes a broad approach to waste reduction, delving into topics like food waste, composting, litter, textile waste, and the climate impacts of materials management. You'll also gain insight into our local waste systems and how to drive meaningful change. How to Get Started: Register for a one-time orientation and begin your journey to improving the health and well-being of people and the planet. Be a part of the solution—join us in making our community a cleaner, greener place to live!

Join the Waste Ambassadors for an exclusive tour of Spokane's recycling center, owned and operated by WM. The newly renovated SMaRT Center's advanced technology upgrades are expected to increase recycling capacity by 37%. The result is less waste going to landfills and more recyclables that can be used for new products.

Please wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. PPE such as a hard hat, safety glasses and safety vest will be provided onsite.

This tour has limited capacity. All attendees must register individually.

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at Art Salvage, attending an orientation is the first step in the volunteer process.

At the orientation we will give you a tour of our space, share the mission of our organization, and answer any questions you might have.

Interested volunteers that are under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by a caregiver for the initial orientation and for all volunteer shifts.

The community showed up — now we need volunteers to help us finish the job! 

Who We Are

Partners INW is a local nonprofit providing essential resources to individuals and families throughout our community, including food, clothing, diapers, hygiene products, and other basic necessities.

Why This Project Is Happening

When the Spokane Complex Fires impacted our community, the response was incredible. Individuals, businesses, churches, schools, and organizations stepped up with an overwhelming amount of donated resources to help our neighbors affected by the fires.

We became a major collection and distribution point for those donations, and while the immediate crisis has slowed, the work behind the scenes is not finished!

Tuesday, September 30

10:00 AM–2:00 PM

17002 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley, WA 99037

Volunteers will work together to sort, organize, and prepare donated items so these resources can continue moving where they are needed most.Volunteers will help sort, organize, and prepare the remaining fire relief donations so these resources can continue moving where they are needed most.

This is a special off-site Partners INW volunteer project and is perfect for individuals, businesses, organizations, schools, and community groups who want to serve together.

Come ready to work, have some fun, and help us finish what this amazing community started!

Discover a fascinating approach to food waste reduction! Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are powerful decomposers that can transform food scraps into valuable resources quickly and with minimal odor.

In this workshop, you'll learn what makes these insects different from common pests, explore their unique life cycle, and discover how to set up and maintain a BSFL composting system at home or on a larger community scale.

We’ll cover what to feed your larvae, how to care for and harvest them, and how harvested larvae can be used as a nutritious protein source for chickens, fish, and other livestock. We’ll also explore the bigger picture: how BSFL composting can help divert food waste, reduce methane emissions, and create a more circular food system. Come learn how some hungry little larvae can help tackle a very big waste problem!

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at Art Salvage, attending an orientation is the first step in the volunteer process.

At the orientation we will give you a tour of our space, share the mission of our organization, and answer any questions you might have.

Interested volunteers that are under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by a caregiver for the initial orientation and for all volunteer shifts.

Join the Waste Ambassadors and Global Neighborhood Thrift & Vintage for a behind-the-scenes tour of their recycling operations. Learn how Global is able to divert more than 120,000 pounds of textiles, home goods, and metal from the waste stream—while providing job training, education, income, and community support to help refugees rebuild their lives in the U.S. 

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at Art Salvage, attending an orientation is the first step in the volunteer process.

At the orientation we will give you a tour of our space, share the mission of our organization, and answer any questions you might have.

Interested volunteers that are under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by a caregiver for the initial orientation and for all volunteer shifts.

Thanks for your interest in volunteering at Art Salvage, attending an orientation is the first step in the volunteer process.

At the orientation we will give you a tour of our space, share the mission of our organization, and answer any questions you might have.

Interested volunteers that are under 18 years of age need to be accompanied by a caregiver for the initial orientation and for all volunteer shifts.

Learn about soil science and become certified as a soil science consultant by one of the leading soil science institutes. We will manage your tuition, most of the class in online, volunteer and teaching time is expected by agreement. Please contact Kathryn for more nformation.

Learn how to manage land to hold water it gets through rain. These projects can be small and permaculture oriented, or large with a city or regional focus. Certification comes through one of the premier world-wide land hydrology organizations. Contact Kathryn for more information.

Volunteer Role: Sewing Menders of all kinds

Come mend with us! We have menders at every level. There are menders that hand stitch only, hobbyists that prefer to do hems and patches, educators that like to engage with the client while mending, and professionals that do it all. Whatever your skill level we have mends for you.

Learn more here: https://www.spokanezerowaste.org/mend-it-cafe

Mend-It Cafes take place in various locations throughout Spokane and require a time commitment of a few hours.

Fill out this short survey to become a Mend-It Cafe mender; we are eager for you to join the team for this popular and growing community offering!

Join Our Volunteer Team Feed Spokane is a food rescue agency that helps save food and then works together with many organizations that get food to people – our neighbors, children, families, and seniors who do not have enough to eat. We’re looking for helpers like you! You can drive our vans, help load and unload food, sort it, and give it to others who need it. If you want to be a part of this amazing team, sign up now, and our friendly Volunteer Coordinator will get in touch with you soon. Join us in the fight against hunger!

Apply to volunteer by visiting our website or completing the volunteer application here: Become A Volunteer – Feed Spokane

Volunteers at Hope Market provide a welcoming and helpful environment for shoppers.  They keep the shelves stocked with a variety of food.  Volunteers also help shoppers make selections from what is available in the cooler, freezer, and from the shelves of canned and dry goods in the food pantry.

Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

School Food Waste Reduction & Composting Pilot Program with Growing Neighbors

This program engages students, school staff, and community members in learning about the food cycle and reducing food waste. Through education and hands-on projects, participants will focus on waste reduction, collecting food scraps for redistribution or composting, and using finished compost to enrich soil in school and community gardens. The program also supports growing, preparing, and sharing fresh, nutritious food at schools.

The pilot will launch at Garfield Elementary School and includes:

The long-term goal is to expand the program to additional schools.

To receive training or get involved, email: growingneighbors509@gmail.com 

Sewing on a button seems such a trivial thing, but knowing how to do it can reduce the amount of textile waste from landfill or incineration.

Textile waste is a growing component of the waste landscape. It’s found strewn across the Atacama desert in Chile, it’s shipped around the globe on cargo ships, and it’s taking up space in landfills everywhere.

The problem grows exponentially when considering that 60% of clothing made over the last decade is petroleum based synthetics. When washed and dried in machines these textiles shed loads of microplastics into the air, water and soil.

Spokane Zero Waste is teaching sewing and upcycling skills to youth and adults as a way to keep these textiles out of the waste stream; teaching the care of clothing to minimize microplastics and how to identify quality fabrics that will last a lifetime with some repair skills.

View upcoming classes and register at Spokane Zero Waste Classes.

VOLUNTEER FOR THE SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER Are you interested in volunteering to HELP PROTECT the Spokane River? Our mission to protect the Spokane River Watershed relies on community volunteers to collect data, cleanup litter, and more.  Learn more about joining a litter cleanup here.