Zero Waste Ambassadors Program
READY, SET, VOLUNTEER!
Looking to make a difference and help fight climate change?
Help reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions as a Zero Waste Ambassador!
What is the Zero Waste Ambassadors Program?
A hands-on volunteer program launched by the Office of Sustainability for members of the community to help the university advance its zero waste efforts.
This program gives students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to educate the community about the importance of waste diversion and recycling in the fight against climate change. By helping to ensure that waste is properly sorted at campus events, Zero Waste Ambassadors will be on the front lines of reducing waste at CSULB while empowering others to do the same.
Students who volunteer as Zero Waste Ambassadors will be entered in an opportunity drawing for the chance to win a one of the following rewards:
- Student Parking Pass (one semester)
- Long Beach Transit Bus Pass (one semester)
- Pair of tickets to Knott's Berry Farm
FAQs
Help educate our community and lead The Beach toward a more sustainable future!
As a Zero Waste Ambassador, students will be aiding the Office of Sustainability in expanding compost efforts across our campus. The Fall 2025 semester will focus on the Walter Pyramid – volunteers will supervise compost bins during highly-attended sporting events and aid spectators in properly sorting waste. Volunteers will also analyze collected materials and gather data by completing a waste audit the following business day after the sporting event.
Yes! Once you have signed up through the Zero Waste Ambassadors Interest Form, you will receive an email confirming your participation. You will then be instructed to complete the short asynchronous training module and take the comprehension quiz. Ambassadors will be required to complete the training before being allowed to volunteer.
A program lead will also be on site at every volunteer event to provide addition guidance and instructions.
Our Zero Waste Ambassadors program schedule is highly flexible – you can choose to volunteer for one event or multiple events, with each shift being approximately 3 hours.
Check out the calendar to see the dates of available volunteer sessions (attending games and waste data collection). Once you have filled out the Zero Waste Ambassadors Interest Form, you will receive an email to sign up for volunteer shifts that fit your schedule.
Keep in mind that the more volunteer sessions you attend, the more entries you get for the opportunity drawing at the end of the semester – so it’s to your advantage to attend as many as you can!
Upcoming shifts:
- Thursday, November 13, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
- Friday, November 14, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
- Sunday, November 16, 3:00 - 6:00pm
- Monday, November 17, time TBD (data collection)
- Wednesday, November 19, 6:00 - 9:00pm
- Thursday, November 20, time TBD (data collection)
- Friday, November 21, 6:00 - 9:00pm
- Monday, November 24, time TBD (data collection)
- Saturday, November 30, 1:00 - 4:00pm
- Monday, December 1, time TBD (data collection)
- Friday, December 6, 5:00 - 8:00pm
- Monday, December 8, time TBD (data collection)
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Opportunity Drawing Prizes
One winner will be chosen at random and will select one of the following prizes:
Fall 2025 Prizes
- A student parking pass for the spring 2026 semester
- A student bus pass for the spring 2026 semester
- 2 Knotts Berry Farm day passes
Spring 2026 Prizes
- A student parking pass for the fall 2026 semester
- A student bus pass for the fall 2026 semester
- 2 Knotts Berry Farm day passes
See next section for important information about taxes and processing of prizes.
Eligibility
While CSULB employees and alumni are welcome to volunteer as Zero Waste Ambassadors, only current students may enter the opportunity drawing for the prizes.
Entry Limitations
Student volunteers will receive one entry per volunteer shiftcompleted. Students must arrive on time and stay until they have been dismissed from their shift.
Students participating in the program through a service-learning course will receive one entry upon completing their service-learning hours and may receive additional entries for each shift they complete beyond their service hour requirement.
Winner Selection
The Office of Sustainability will record the names of volunteers each shift and will randomly select one winner from the pool following the last available shift of the semester (December 8, 2025 for fall 2025, date to be determined for spring 2026). The winner will be contacted via email and will have one week (7 days) to confirm receipt of notification and intention to claim their selected prize. If they fail to respond within one week, a new winner will be selected at random.
Taxes and Processing
International students are subject to a 30% federal tax withholding to be paid by the Office of Sustainability at no cost to the student.
Upon selection, the winner will be contacted and asked to complete a W-8BEN or W-9 tax form to be reviewed by the Controller’s Office before the parking permit is awarded. In addition to the W-8BEN form, additional documentation will be requested from the CSULB Tax Department for the international student winner.
Transferability
Prizes are non-transferable.
Yes! We encourage students in service-learning courses to take part in Zero Waste Ambassadors. We are interested in service-learning students who can regularly participate in events and waste audits throughout the semester not only to achieve their hours requirements, but also to serve as a familiar face to provide guidance to new volunteers.
Please note, students participating in the program through a service-learning course will receive one entry into the opportunity drawing upon completing their service-learning hours and may receive additional entries for each shift they complete beyond their service hour requirement.
