Our volunteers and short-term staff fuel the U of T Trash Team with new ideas, positive energy, passion and talent. Together, they are empowered to co-create meaningful experiences and deliver programs on waste literacy through community outreach, education and solutions-based research.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Members and ambassadors must be at least 18 years or older to participate, however our public events are open to all ages. Please follow our events calendar or subscribe to our newsletter to find us out in the community.
- Member
Join our internal listserv to hear about upcoming opportunities throughout the year. Everyone who aligns with our team values and shares our goal of increasing waste literacy in the community while reducing plastic pollution in our ecosystems is welcome to join. (We also hope you love raccoons, but it’s ok if you don’t!)
To join: Email uofttrashteam@gmail.com for more details and to complete a short survey and volunteer waiver.
2. Ambassador
Help increase waste literacy by representing us at local events, including cleanups, public presentations, youth workshops and info tables. U of T Trash Team Ambassadors exemplify the core values of the U of T Trash Team and foster a positive and hopeful approach to the topic of plastic pollution. (CCR Eligible)
New cohorts open annually in September and interested ambassadors must be available for training.
Become a 2026/27 Ambassador:
- Complete the entrance survey by Friday September 25.
- All interested Ambassadors must attend a mandatory training session on Sunday October 4.
- For more details, contact Susan Debreceni, Program Lead of Volunteer Engagement and Community Programs: susan.debreceni@utoronto.ca
Short-term Paid Opportunities
- Waste Literacy Instructor
Join a team of peers to deliver lessons to grade 4-6 classrooms through a mix of hands-on and discussion-based programming. Our four lessons highlight the prevalence of plastics in our natural environment and what their impact is. (CCR Eligible)
How to Apply: Applications open annually in September and are open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the U of T Faculty of Arts and Science.
Apply to be a 2026/27 Waste Literacy Instructor:
- Read the position description, including time commitment/expectations then submit application by Friday September 25.
- Interviews will be held at the start of October.
- For more details, contact Hayley McIlWraith, Education and Community Science Specialist: hayley.mcilwraith@utoronto.ca
2. Fighting Floatables Research Assistant
Join our Fighting Floatables project to help with emptying our trash traps, manual skimming of litter, and quantifying and characterizing litter collected via established protocols. This position is open to undergraduate students.
How to Apply: Applications open in February. For more details email Chelsea Rochman, Head of Operations and Program Lead of Scientific Programming and Application: chelsea.rochman@utoronto.ca
3. Pollution Prevention Project Fellowship
Fellows will have a passion to reduce plastic pollution and a creative idea to lead their own Pollution Prevention Project. We are looking for fellows interested in proposing the next phase to one of our existing projects – to help us get from first launch to policy change. This position is open to undergraduate or students that have graduated within the last 2 years.
How to Apply: Applications open in February. For more details email Chelsea Rochman, Head of Operations and Program Lead of Scientific Programming and Application: chelsea.rochman@utoronto.ca
Benefits of Joining
- Co-Curricular record (U of T students only – Ambassador and Waste Literacy Instructor roles)
- Be part of a friendly community
- Gain science communication skills
- Become a leader in our community
- Opportunities to try new things, explore and innovate
- Learn more about current research on plastic pollution
- Contribute to positive change locally while inspiring others to reduce plastic pollution globally
No matter how you get involved, we look forward to having you as a valued member of the team to help us shape the future of waste literacy!
Our team works together according to these shared values.
