RecyclingWorks MA Annual Report: 3 Achievements from FY2026

This year marks 15 years of RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks MA). Over the past 15 years, this program has helped businesses and institutions across the Commonwealth reduce waste, recover resources, and improve materials management practices. FY2026 brought measurable progress in food recovery, waste diversion, and outreach efforts across the state.

Here are three highlights from the 2026 Annual Report

1. Food Donations Increased Twelvefold

Food donation sits at the top of the wasted food hierarchy after source reduction, making it one of the most effective ways to keep edible food in circulation. Throughout the year, RecyclingWorks MA worked with businesses and institutions to identify donation opportunities, connect with recovery partners, and develop systems that make donation part of regular operations.

Organizations supported by RecyclingWorks MA donated more than 150,000 pounds of edible food in FY2026, equal to more than 125,000 meals. Compared to the previous year, food donations increased by nearly 1,100%.

Much of that growth came from launching food donation programs at two major chains. Operational changes at scale can quickly increase food recovery efforts and connect more food with more people.

2. More Than 3.6 Million Pounds of Material Were Diverted

Through technical assistance and hotline support, RecyclingWorks MA helped divert approximately 1,650 tons of material, or more than 3.6 million pounds, from disposal during FY2026.

That total included:

• Over 1.5 million pounds of recyclables
• Over 1.5 million pounds of wasted food
• Nearly 25,000 lifetime tons of carbon emissions reduced through program-supported activities

Program staff also responded to nearly 1,500 hotline inquiries, helping organizations address challenges related to recycling, composting, food donation, reuse, and waste prevention.

3. More Outreach Than Ever Before

RecyclingWorks MA participated in or delivered 60 presentations, webinars, workshops, conferences, and stakeholder events during FY2026. Participation in these events increased by more than 40% compared to FY2025.

The program’s online resources also continued to gain traction:

• Over 140,000 website views
• More than 13,000 views of the Find a Recycler resource
• A monthly newsletter audience of more than 11,000 subscribers
• Approximately 25% growth in Instagram followers

Multilingual resources remained in demand, and the program continued outreach efforts in Environmental Justice communities while providing technical assistance to schools, businesses, institutions, and municipalities across Massachusetts.

Looking Ahead

FY2026 showed what fifteen years of experience looks like in practice: more than 125,000 meals recovered through food donation efforts, more than 3.6 million pounds of material diverted from disposal, and growing engagement with organizations across Massachusetts.

As the program enters its sixteenth year, RecyclingWorks MA will continue supporting waste prevention, food donation, recycling, reuse, and organics diversion efforts throughout the Commonwealth, buoyed by the support and participation of businesses, institutions, schools, municipalities, haulers, food rescue organizations, and community partners.

Read on to learn more about how RecyclingWorks MA is making an impact