562.570.2869
LBRecycles@longbeach.gov
Environmental Services Bureau Customer Relations Officer
Department of Public Works
Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach’s Department of Public Works will host a seven-week Compost and Recycling Ambassador (CRA) Program this fall. This free program combines education, hands-on experience and collaboration to train community members on waste reduction strategies, primary composting methods and recycling history, systems and practices.
Community members who complete the program by attending at least six of the seven required courses and completing 25 required volunteer hours will be certified as Compost and Recycling Ambassadors. As a CRA, residents will bridge the gap between awareness and action by motivating friends, families, co-workers, peers and community members; demonstrate sustainable behaviors; and enhance the City's ability to reach more people through a network of passionate community members and educators.
The fall 2025 CRA program, offered at no cost to residents ages 18 and older, will take place weekly from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from Aug. 30 through Oct. 4, 2025, at the Environmental Services Bureau (2929 E. Willow St.). The seventh session, which will also serve as a graduation class, will take place Saturday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. Applications for the seven-week course will open Monday, July 21 at 10 a.m. Space is limited, and community members will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Apply at lbcity.info/CRA25.
Since its start in fall 2022, the CRA Program, which was previously known as the Master Composter Recycler Program, has trained more than 100 Long Beach residents from all nine council districts who have dedicated over 1,300 hours back to the Long Beach community. The program supports the goals of the Long Beach Climate Action Plan (LB CAP) by promoting increased recycling in multifamily developments in compliance with state law and encouraging urban agriculture practices that help reduce air pollution.
For more information about the CRA program, visit the program webpage.
Media inquiries may be directed to Dalia Gonzalez, Environmental Services Bureau Customer Relations Officer, at 562.570.2869 or email lbrecycles@longbeach.gov.