Trash For Peace

Ground score association ground score is an association of informal recyclers, dumpster divers and other environmental workers who create and fill low-barrier waste management jobs. Ground score is collectively-organized and seeks to be radically inclusive, prioritizing work opportunities for those facing work and housing insecurity. Ground score seeks to build a more environmentally and socially aware community, while also changing societys perceptions of what and who is considered valuable.

The peoples depot (program of ground score association) the peoples depot (tpd) is an independent bottle redemption service run by and for canners (informal can and bottle collectors). The depot was born out of the covid-19 pandemic when access to bottle redemption became limited and people were in critical need of income. The peoples depot currently generates regular work for 15 people, who sort and count cans and bottles monday-saturday at two locations in portland and serves hundreds of canners a week.

Housing multnomah now - the housing multnomah now (hmn) program was a rapid-response housing program focused on moving people experiencing homelessness, especially those in high-impact encampments, into permanent housing quickly. The program used a low-barrier, equity-centered, and trauma-informed approach, partnering with grassroots and community-led organizations. It provided flexible housing options and ongoing support to ensure long-term housing stability.

Environmental promoters program the environmental promoter program was born out of multifamily residents expressed frustration and dissatisfaction with their waste and recycling systems, and a desire to learn more and have a direct hand in improving those systems. In partnership with residents, metro, local governments, and community-based organizations, we provide training (based on popular education methodology) for interested residents to learn more about recycling, waste prevention, and healthy homes. They are then given the opportunity to be paid to create their own self-identified projects and outreach to share this information with their own communities. Our team provides support, guidance, and connections to resources to help promoters complete their projects and/or keep them going in the community indefinitely!

Youth sustainability education program this program focuses on building relationships and working with over 150 youth residents (of all ages) on affordable, multi-family housing sites each month. Based on listening and building relationships, the weekly after-school program is focused on learning about community, nature, and recycling and waste prevention through experiential, hands-on activities. We also host no-cost summer camps for youth living on supportive housing sites during the summer.

New initiatives - this program focuses on building new areas of services in response to and alignment with local-government policy directions related to equitable waste systems and climate changes policies. Current initiatives include: materials reuse (as a focus on oregon's embedded carbon reduction goals), bulky waste services in response to metro's 2030 regional waste plan, composting for multifamily housing, and recycling in relation to oregon deq's plastic pollution and recycling modernization act (also known as the rma).

Multifamily outreach program recycling and trash at multifamily enclosures is often inadequate and confusing! Our goals are to help make it more effective and equitable from the perspective of community members. Working with environmental promoters, we collaborate with the city of gresham and the city of portland to provide outreach about recycling and waste prevention to multifamily housing sites in east multnomah county, through a community-based lens. This includes support with recycling outreach and education, bulky and food waste reduction, collection events, and more.