Training
See below for a list of our free trainings. Do you have questions? Contact April McCoy amccoy@zendergroup.org 907-277-2111. Please note, to attend you must be registered.

2024
Dates | Training | Location | Status |
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Jan 23-25. 2024 |
Qualified Sampler
Description: Learn how to take your own water and soil samples to send for laboratory contaminant testing, how to test on-site for surface water fecal coliform, and how to sample and monitor for the basic water quality parameters using a YSI probe and turbidity meter. One-on-one follow-up will be provided post-training to each attendee to answer questions, troubleshoot testing, and help with writing QAPP’s and more. Three day training over zoom with lots of breaks! |
Virtual | Register |
March 27, 2024 |
Waste Equipment Operation & Maintenance
This training focuses on small landfill equipment such as skid-steer loaders, balers, glass crushers, and other recycling equipment. You will see how to approach equipment maintenance to increase program sustainability, how to set up a typical work area for routine maintenance and how to approach more complicated repairs. Maintenance budgeting and equipment purchase or replacement will also be covered. This is a virtual training and will be held over zoom on March 27, 2024 9-11am |
Virtual | Register |
May, 2024, Dates TBD |
Qualified Sampler
Learn how to take your own water and soil samples to send for laboratory contaminant testing, how to test on-site for surface water fecal coliform, and how to sample and monitor for the basic water quality parameters using a YSI probe and turbidity meter. One-on-one follow-up will be provided post-training to each attendee to answer questions, troubleshoot testing, and help with writing QAPP’s and more. |
Anchorage | Register |
Spring, 2024, Dates TBD |
Business of Trash and Climate Change Planning
Description: Having trouble convincing your community to pay fees? Finding that your solid waste program starts and stops or doesn’t seem to improve? This training looks at your solid waste management program as a utility operation. We use self-assessment exercises and discussions to explore the 9 management areas that contribute to effective and sustainable utility management. You will learn your own program’s weaknesses and strengths and leave with an identified approach to improving your program. This training also includes guest speakers on the topic of climate change planning for SWM. There may be small travel stipends for those that need it for this training. |
Anchorage | Register |
May, 2024, Dates TBD |
Backhaul & HazMat Regulation Training
Description: Comprehensive backhaul training which includes safety, DOT HazMat regulations (HMR), inventory, storage, packing, shipping, labeling, and shipping paperwork. This is an in-person training in Kodiak |
Kodiak | Register |
May, 2024 Dates TBD |
Backhaul & HazMat Regulation Training
Description: Comprehensive backhaul training which includes safety, DOT HazMat regulations (HMR), inventory, storage, packing, shipping, labeling, and shipping paperwork. This is an in-person training in Anchorage |
Anchorage | Register |
May, 2024 Dates TBD |
Refrigerant Recovery
Description: This course trains communities that have a specific need for performing refrigerant recovery at their landfills. The 1-day training is divided up into classroom and hands-on sections. The classroom section covers topics such as: refrigeration cycle, stratospheric ozone depletion, important regulations, recovery equipment and techniques. The hands-on section covers safety, equipment & tools, field prepping refrigerant cylinders (putting into a vacuum), checking for and purging non-condensables (i.e. air), recovery setup and techniques, and labeling and shipping. During the hands-on section a trainees will setup and run the recovery equipment, PPE is will be provided, and appliances are made available for students to practice on. This is an in-person training in Anchorage. |
Anchorage | Register |
Dates TBD |
Backhaul & HazMat Regulation Training
Description: Comprehensive backhaul training which includes safety, DOT HazMat regulations (HMR), inventory, storage, packing, shipping, labeling, and shipping paperwork. This is an in-person training in Bethel. |
Bethel | Register |
Summer 2024, Dates TBD |
3R’s Training (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
This new 1-day training introduces circular economy projects applicable to rural Alaska — primarily by prolonging the useful life, or reducing the toxicity, of products contributing to the SWM issues described above when discarded at landfills. Recycle: Many rural communities have piles of fish nets that would otherwise be discarded. An expert fish net recycler will teach how to identify different types of net, prepare for recycling, and steps for shipping it to recyclers. Plastics molding machines will also be discussed Reuse: Thrift stores can make money and create jobs in rural Alaska. We will highlight several great examples of successfully run thrift stores in rural Alaska and teach how to start a pop-up thrift store, so items such as used windows, bikes, books, and clothes can be organized, kept in better condition, and given a second (or 3rd or 4th!) life. Reduce: If products aren’t used, waste and pollution isn’t created doesn’t have waste management or pollution costs/impacts. We will go over many ways to reduce wastes, including high PFAS-content items – what they are, how to read labels, and how to reduce their use via alternatives or other means. |
Anchorage | Register |
Fall, 2024 Dates TBA |
Qualified Sampler
Learn how to take your own water and soil samples to send for laboratory contaminant testing, how to test on-site for surface water fecal coliform, and how to sample and monitor for the basic water quality parameters using a YSI probe and turbidity meter. One-on-one follow-up will be provided post-training to each attendee to answer questions, troubleshoot testing, and help with writing QAPP’s and more. Three day training over zoom with lots of breaks! |
Virtual | Register |
2023
Dates | Training | Location | Status |
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November 28-30, 2023 |
Virtual Backhaul Training
Description: This is a comprehensive backhaul training which will be conducted virtually (using Zoom). The training will include the topics of safety, DOT HazMat regulations (HMR), inventory, storage, packing, shipping, labeling, and shipping paperwork. |
Virtual | Register |
2022
Dates | Training | Location | Status |
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