Master Composter/Sustainability Stewards are Seattle residents who learn about composting and recyclables, reducing waste and improving water quality – then share with others!
The Master Composter/Sustainability Steward program is managed by Tilth Alliance in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities to support Seattle’s waste reduction and recycling efforts.
Invite Us to Your Event
Master Composter/Sustainability Stewards are a diverse, knowledgeable and friendly bunch that would love to teach you everything you could ever want to know about reducing and preventing waste, recycling, composting, and building healthy soil. We are happy to tailor our educational outreach to best meet the needs of your group and all of our outreach is completely free! Here are some of our common outreach services:
- Waste Management Leadership: We provide assistance at festivals, concerts, or community events to help people collect reusable service ware, and sort their compost/recycling/garbage before it gets tossed.
- Informational Tables: With a range of multilingual brochures and our interactive educational materials such as table top worm bins, waste sorting games or stormwater demos, a friendly educator can answer questions and events such as farmers markets, festivals, grocery stores or community gatherings.
- Hands-on Classes, Clinics & Demonstrations: Interested in a class or workshop for your group? We offer classes about composting food waste, building healthy soil, or reducing waste at home for p-patch gardeners, community groups, and more.
- Lectures & Presentations: Let us bring a fun and engaging talk about reducing pollution and waste, or the benefits of compost and share easy steps we all can take. Great for schools, faith groups, or senior centers.
Join Us
Seattle residents are invited to apply to participate in the free Master Composter/Sustainability Stewards program, a volunteer training program with a community outreach component.
Each Master Composter/Sustainability Steward participates in 40 hours of training, followed by 35 hours of volunteer outreach. Outreach includes helping reduce waste at community events, leading waste reduction and composting classes, and teaching Seattle residents about waste prevention at in-person and online events. The training course, taught by local experts, covers the following topics:
- Preventing waste and saving resources
- Sorting compostable and recyclable waste
- Improving soil health and building soil life
- Understanding the composting process and using finished compost
- Managing stormwater and protecting water quality
- Teaching others about effective resource conservation practices
- Encouraging others to act
Training Schedule
Held each spring, the volunteer training is an in-depth educational experience with online Zoom sessions and hands-on training at each of our demonstration gardens.
- Wednesday evening training sessions will be held online via Zoom.
- Saturday day-time classes will be held in person at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands (South Seattle) and the Good Shepherd Center (Wallingford).
- For 2026, the training dates will be:
| Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. | March 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. |
| Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | March 28, April 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2. |
Qualifications
- Residency. Only Seattle residents are eligible for this Seattle-based program. Live outside of Seattle? Find out about our Soil and Water Stewardship training offered in King County.
- Commitment to Community. Outreach is an essential component of the MC/SS program and a powerful form of environmental action! Following your MC/SS training, you will become part of a select team of Seattle residents empowered to share what you have learned with friends, neighbors and the community at large. We’ll make sure you have the support you need to be successful at teaching others.
Contact Us
To request the services of Master Composter/Sustainability Stewards or with other questions, contact us at [email protected] or (206) 633-0097.
This program is co-managed by Tilth Alliance and Seattle Public Utilities.
Live Outside of Seattle?
The Master Composter/Sustainability Stewards training is for residents of Seattle. If you live outside of Seattle and are interested in participating in a similar program, check out the Soil & Water Stewardship training! The Soil & Water Stewardship program is open to King County residents, with preference given to Rainier Beach and South King County residents.