SUSTAINABILITY INTERNSHIPS AT CASELLA
- Sustainability
- Sustainability Internships at Casella
Casella’s sustainability interns support the company’s efforts to tangibly improve its environmental and social impacts. The company actively strives to create a mutually rewarding and fruitful internship experience, wherein students gain valuable skills, contacts, and experiences and Casella gains useful deliverables with clear business value.
Networking and learning.
All interns complete a broad set of onboarding activities designed to provide exposure to multiple departments and components of the solid waste industry. This will take the form of professional interviews, facility tours, skills training, and more. These experiences can be completed virtually when needed. Each intern is assigned a supervisor and one or more mentors.
Concrete deliverables.
Interns will be responsible to prepare, complete, and present one primary deliverable during the course of their internship. This project will be defined in the first two weeks of the program, taking into account the student’s interests and skills and the company’s priorities. Students will also be asked to work on smaller side projects as time permits.
2023 Projects
Recycling Education
Engaging the public around what does and does not belong in home recycling bins is essential to advancing a viable circular economy model for household consumables. Each year, Casella’s sustainability interns support targeted recycling education campaigns for select municipal customers, with a goal to measurably reduce contamination and increase participation in recycling programs. Specific activities include conducting curbside bin audits, giving virtual recycling facility tours, developing recycling education materials for target audiences, tracking community progress on key recycling metrics, and more.
Service Innovation
Casella is constantly testing innovative new services to help advance recycling and waste reduction. One Casella sustainability intern worked to develop and implement an outreach program to increase participation in a pilot program for managing hard-to-recycle materials from small businesses. The student identified target segments, developed outreach materials, and visited local businesses to discuss the service and collect their feedback and perspective.
Zero Waste Event Playbook
Large events can generate large quantities of waste, presenting an opportunity for recycling and waste reduction. Colleges and universities are often particularly interested in hosting zero waste events. One Casella sustainability intern worked to develop a zero-waste event playbook for our customers. Thorough research and analysis, the intern compiled valuable insights and recommendations and developed a written playbook for hosting zero waste events.
Alternative Fuel/Power Sources
Casella’s 2030 sustainability goals include a target to reduce fuel intensity by 20%. One recent intern reviewed company data on fuel consumption, looking for trends across fleets, and identifying key insights. The intern interviewed members of our fleet team and manufacturing partners to discuss emerging trends in fuel efficiency and alternative fuels. Using this information, the intern compiled a series of recommendations to help the company meet its fuel goal.
Compensation and Logistics
Casella’s sustainability interns are paid at competitive rates. The roles may be full-time or part-time – 30 hours per week is typical. The internships last 10 weeks, beginning in June and extending into August. Travel will be required, with mileage reimbursement at federal rates. Some weekend events may be required. Further details will be specified in the position posting.
How to Apply
The summer internship positions will be posted in early March. If you wish to be notified when the positions are posted, provide your contact information at the link below.