Trash for Peace

What Trash for Peace does

Trash for Peace is an Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that designs and delivers community-led waste reduction, recycling, and environmental justice programming primarily at affordable multifamily housing sites in Multnomah and Clackamas County. Its service portfolio comprises five core programs: the Youth Sustainability Education Program (weekly after-school activities reaching 450+ youth per month), the Environmental Promoters Program (paid leadership roles for residents ages 12-75 in waste prevention and outreach), the Multifamily Outreach Program (recycling and bulky-waste education delivered with the City of Portland and City of Gresham), the New Initiatives Program (free bulky waste removal and furniture reuse that has supported 300+ low-income households since 2022), and the Career Coaching Program (one-on-one green-jobs workforce development run jointly with Worksystems' Economic Opportunity Program). Trash for Peace has reportedly provided 500+ unique jobs to community members facing job and housing insecurity and diverted 50+ tons of waste in a single year.

The organization is funded almost entirely through philanthropic grants and donations from a portfolio of institutional funders — Metro, City of Portland, City of Gresham, Home Forward, Joint Office of Homeless Services, 99 Girlfriends, Garth Family Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation, CEIC, and the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) — supplemented by individual donations (including via PayPal) and small fees generated through its fiscal sponsorship of Repair PDX and potentially other emerging nonprofits. Programs are free to participants, and pricing for beneficiary services is effectively zero. Distribution is direct to community: weekly on-site programming at housing sites, partnership-mediated outreach to residents, and downloadable educational PDF toolkits (six themed activity booklets plus a 68-activity Trash for Peace Activity Book) used as curriculum. There is no software product, mobile app, or API.

Operationally the organization reports 11-50 employees, is led by Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Laura Kutner Tokarski and Associate Director Alice Rotsztain, and is governed by a board that is publicly recruiting additional members with finance, legal, and fundraising expertise. Geographic footprint is concentrated in the Portland metropolitan region, with the organization citing program delivery roots in Guatemala and Bulgaria alongside its core operations. Recognition includes the 2019 Association of Oregon Recyclers "Recycler of the Year" award and a 2016 Mt. Hood Community College Distinguished Teaching Award to the founder. The core economic model is grant-dependent mission delivery rather than scalable commercial revenue.

Name

Trash for Peace

Legal name

Trash for Peace

Website

https://trashforpeace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Trash for Peace is a Portland, Oregon nonprofit founded in 2012 that delivers community-led waste reduction, recycling education, and green-jobs workforce programs primarily at affordable multifamily housing sites across Multnomah and Clackamas County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Environmental Education & Waste Reduction Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Other Waste Collection (562119)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Family / HOA MSW Collection (Apartments, Condos) (EUAIAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ), Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• Community recycling services
• Waste reduction programs
• Green jobs training
• Nonprofit sustainability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Trash for Peace operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through monetary donations from individuals and organizations, as well as grants from government entities and foundations. The organization also accepts in-kind donations of clothing, arts and crafts, and other items.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Trash for Peace provides fiscal sponsorship to new and growing organizations, offering administrative, financial, and liability oversight, which generates revenue through sponsorship fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Trash for Peace is a Portland-based nonprofit that delivers community-led environmental education, waste reduction, and recycling programs at multi-family affordable housing sites in Multnomah and Clackamas County. Its core offerings include after-school youth sustainability education, an Environmental Promoters leadership and low-barrier employment program, multifamily recycling outreach, free bulky-waste removal and furniture reuse, and career coaching for green jobs. The organization also provides fiscal sponsorship and administrative oversight to emerging nonprofits.

Product overview

Trash for Peace is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community-based sustainability programs. The core programs include the Youth Sustainability Education Program (after-school activities for 450+ youth monthly), the Environmental Promoters Program (leadership opportunities for residents ages 12-75), the Multifamily Outreach Program (recycling outreach in East Multnomah County), the New Initiatives Program (bulky waste removal and furniture reuse), and the Career Coaching Program (workforce development in green jobs). These programs are complemented by educational resources including six themed activity booklets (Reuse, Recycling, Healthy Foods, Renewable Energy, Natural World, and Culture) plus a comprehensive Trash for Peace Activity Book containing 68 hands-on activities. The organization also offers fiscal sponsorship services to other nonprofits. All programs are rooted in environmental justice principles and community-led development, serving the greater Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Sustainability Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ tons of trash diverted from landfill in a single year through peer-led litter collection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Repair PDXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Repair PDX is a fiscal sponsor recipient of Trash for Peace since 2013, working to spread repair culture through monthly repair events.
• MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetro is a key funding and program partner supporting Trash for Peace's waste reduction and recycling initiatives throughout the Portland metro region.
• City of PortlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Portland partners with Trash for Peace on multifamily outreach programs and waste prevention initiatives in East Multnomah County.
• City of GreshamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Gresham collaborates with Trash for Peace on recycling outreach and education at multifamily housing sites.
• Home ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome Forward is a key partner providing support for residents at affordable housing sites where Trash for Peace delivers programs.
• Joint Office of Homeless ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Office of Homeless Services provides funding and support for programs serving homeless community members.
• WorksystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Worksystems' Economic Opportunity Program to help address employment barriers and provide career coaching services.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Recycling Partnership: National nonprofit focused on improving recycling access and education, including multifamily and underserved communities; aligns with Trash for Peace's multifamily outreach and recycling education focus.
• Groundwork USA: National network of community-based environmental nonprofits running place-based sustainability, environmental justice, and youth engagement programs — directly comparable to Trash for Peace's hyper-local, community-led delivery model.
• Eco-Cycle: Colorado-based nonprofit running community recycling and zero-waste programs, including education, sorting, and reuse — closely mirrors Trash for Peace's mix of hands-on education and waste diversion.
• Ground Score (Portland litter collection): Portland-based litter collection and green-jobs program explicitly referenced in Trash for Peace's own data; shares the same community-led, low-barrier employment model and Portland geography.

Emerging players

• Build Reuse: Nonprofit advancing building-material reuse and deconstruction; overlaps with Trash for Peace's New Initiatives Program (bulky waste removal and furniture reuse).
• Cascadia Consulting Group: Pacific Northwest consulting firm that partners with municipalities on multifamily recycling, waste characterization, and program design — overlaps with Trash for Peace's multifamily outreach program with City of Portland and Gresham.
• Resource Central: Colorado-based nonprofit delivering sustainability programs including reuse, recycling, and community education; comparable in approach, though geographically separate.
• Net Zero USA: Nonprofit focused on community-driven waste reduction and recycling education; comparable mission and methodology to Trash for Peace's youth and adult education offerings.

Regional players

• Clackamas County Recycling and Solid Waste: Local-government recycling program serving the same Clackamas County geography where Trash for Peace delivers multifamily outreach — relevant as a funder/partner and as adjacent service provider.

Others

• Environmental Justice Coalition for Water: California-focused coalition advocating for equitable environmental infrastructure for underserved communities; thematically aligned with Trash for Peace's environmental justice framework and multifamily-community focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TrashForPeace
• Instagraminstagram.com/trashforpeace
• Xx.com/trashforpeace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trash-for-peace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trash for Peace