The Californer - City of Long Beach to Host Compost and Recycling Ambassador Program in English and Spanish this Spring

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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach's Energy and Environmental Services Department is excited to announce the continuation of its popular Compost and Recycling Ambassador (CRA) Program for the spring of 2026. This seven-week program, offered at no cost to residents, aims to educate community members on waste reduction strategies, recycling practices, and home composting methods.

The CRA program combines lectures, hands-on experiences, and collaboration to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of waste management. Residents will learn about the history of recycling, different systems and practices for reducing waste, and two primary methods of home composting: vermicomposting and backyard composting.

In addition to these topics, the program will also cover the City's Organics Collection program. This initiative helps households separate yard trimmings and food scraps that are not suitable for home composting.

Thanks to funding from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, the City has partnered with Puente Latino Association to offer the CRA program in Spanish. This supports the City's language access goals and expands outreach to more residents.

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The spring 2026 CRA program will be held in-person at the Department of Energy and Environmental Services offices located at 2929 E. Willow St., 90806. The classes will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays from February 19th through March 26th for the English course, and Saturdays from February 21st through March 28th for the Spanish course. The seventh session for both courses will also serve as a graduation class on April 16th for English participants and April 18th for Spanish participants.

Residents who complete at least six out of seven required in-person classes and complete 25 volunteer hours will be certified as Compost and Recycling Ambassadors. As ambassadors, they will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between awareness and action by motivating friends, family, and community members to adopt sustainable behaviors.

Registration for the spring courses will open on Monday, January 12th at 10 a.m. and will close when the class and waitlist are full. Residents ages 18 and older can register for the upcoming sessions at lbcity.info/CRA. All experience levels are welcome, but space is limited, so preregistration is required.

The City also plans to host CRA sessions in the fall, with the schedule to be announced at a later date. To stay updated, visit lbcity.info/CRA.

For media inquiries, please contact Dalia Gonzalez, Public Information Officer for the Energy and Environmental Services Department at 562.570.2869 or dalia.gonzalez@longbeach.gov.

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