About the Royal City Recycling Champions Program

COVID19 Update: We will be holding the program online using ZOOM.

The Royal City Recycling Champions program is a free adult education program on waste prevention and reduction for residents of New Westminster.
The program's goals are to connect like-minded community members, provide the best information available about the waste system, and train participants to help themselves and others reduce waste. The program is based on the content of the popular Master Recycler Vancouver program, and facilitated by the same team.

Becoming a Champion doesn't mean knowing everything. It means knowing how to find the best information, and working within your community to build skills and resources to help everyone succeed.

The program consists of four evening classes followed by mentored hours of public outreach. We want to help you reduce waste, and share the knowledge you acquire during the program. Facilitators will provide two hours of mentorship per participant towards your 20 hours of community action.

Program at a Glance

Class 1 - New Westminster's Waste System

  • The concept of waste
  • The City of New Westminster’s waste management system
  • Home waste audits, to be completed for class three

Class 2: It’s All About Materials, Not Waste

  • All about materials, and the way they are handled: Plastic, Paper, Organics, Glass, Electronics, Metals, Hazardous and other EPR products.

Class 3: Back to the Future: The Local Circular Economy

  • Waste solutions and the circular economy
  • Local organizations and city initiatives
  • Multi-family housing challenges and options
  • Home waste audit review and discussion

Class 4: Your Turn Now: Community Engagement

  • Principles of Community Based Social Marketing
  • Behavior change tactics, and how they apply to multi-family housing
  • Planning community outreach activities
  • Final discussion and wrap up

Despite its name, the Royal City Recycling Champions Program is about the deeper issue of how to reduce and prevent (avoid) waste. The program addresses garbage, recycling and organics disposal, and trains participants in community outreach, leadership, and behaviour change.


Register / Contact Us




This program is provided by the City of New Westminster, empowered by SPEC, designed and facilitated by Master Recycler Vancouver.