Join our
Associate Board
We’re building our first Associate Board to help us grow our impact.
Associate Board members are early- to mid-career professionals who are passionate about sustainability, circularity and community engagement. They support Reduce Waste Chicago’s mission through hands-on work, helping us to expand our reach and deepen our impact across Chicago.
What you’ll do
We’re looking for individuals interested in supporting Reduce Waste Chicago in the following areas:
- Lead or support social media and content creation to inspire, educate and amplify RWC’s work
- Plan and participate in community outreach, tabling events, and collection events
- Cultivate partnerships with other organizations and communities
- Coordinate and execute fundraising efforts, including fundraising events, corporate engagement and sponsorship development
- Contribute approximately 5–10 hours per month to board meetings, planning, outreach, and initiative support
- Attend or otherwise support at least two collection initiatives per year
Who we’re looking for
We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. Strong candidates will be:
- Self-motivated and able to switch between working collaboratively and independently
- Detail-oriented with excellent communication skills
- Creative, eager to learn and interested in growing within the environmental nonprofit space
- Passionate about sustainability and community engagement
- Able to commit to a one-year renewable term
What you’ll experience
We expect you’ll find purpose in your work with us and benefit in the following ways:
- Hands‑on leadership experience and skill development
- Opportunities to shape community programs and citywide campaigns
- Networking with mission‑aligned peers and sustainability leaders
- A meaningful way to contribute to climate action and systems change in Chicago
Interested?
Questions? Contact Board Member Andrew Don at andrew@reducewastechicago.org.
About us
Reduce Waste Chicago is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers residents to address climate change by reducing waste at the personal, producer and policy levels. We bridge the gap between Chicagoans and meaningful landfill diversion by collecting items for reuse, repurposing, or specialty recycling; sharing best practices with schools, organizations, businesses and individuals; and supporting policies that shift the burden of waste from residents to producers. Our goal is to make waste reduction easier and more accessible for everyone in Chicago.
Since 2022, we’ve diverted more than 85,000 pounds of material from the landfill, including over 14,000 pounds of string lights through our annual Holiday Lights Recycling campaign. We also partner with schools, civic groups, and community organizations to inspire thousands of residents to rethink consumption and reduce waste.