Spring 2026 Forum
375 Reach
25 Engagements
150,000+
Pounds of edible food donated
Equivalent to more than 125,000 meals.
RecyclingWorks MA Report
FY2026 Annual Report
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
Celebrating 15 years of helping Massachusetts businesses and institutions reduce waste, recover resources, and turn sustainability goals into practical action.
3.45M
Pounds of material diverted
285
Businesses served
2018
Technical assistance in action
A Program Milestone
Years of RecyclingWorks MA
This year marked 15 years of RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks MA). We are proud of the program’s meaningful role in helping businesses and institutions across the Commonwealth reduce waste, recover resources, and turn sustainability goals into practical action.
01
Strong partnerships
02
Practical technical assistance
03
Sustained investment
04
A shared commitment to measurable progress
Since its inception, RecyclingWorks MA has supported the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) leadership in commercial waste reduction by helping organizations understand requirements, identify opportunities, and implement practical solutions.
FY2026 Highlights
Points of Pride
12X
Donated food increased by more than 140,000 pounds in just one year.
~25%
Growth in Instagram followers since launching the RecyclingWorks MA account in October 2024
13,000+
The Find a Recycler page had over 13,000 views
100,000+
Increased recyclable material sent to a materials recovery facility by over 100,000 pounds over the previous year
40%+
Increased participation in events and presentations by more than 40% over FY25
Program Impact
By the Numbers
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
285
Businesses served by consultative assistance
1,570+
Tons of total material diverted
3.5 million pounds
780+
Tons of recyclables diverted
765+
Tons of wasted food diverted
60
Speaking engagements
~141,000
Website views
1,400+
Hotline inquiries
~25,000
Lifetime tons of carbon emissions reduced
The RecyclingWorks MA team was patient and offered thoughtful suggestions tailored to our situation. The follow-up email included great resources and signage that saved our market a lot of time.
Local Farmers Market
Did you know?
Keeping wasted food out of landfills reduces methane emissions.
According to the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale , for every ton of wasted food kept out of a landfill, an estimated 75 pounds of methane emissions can be avoided. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide over 20 years.
75 lbs.
Estimated methane emissions avoided per ton
80×
More potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years
Statewide Progress
Supporting the 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan
RecyclingWorks MA directly supports key Massachusetts waste reduction priorities through source reduction, reuse, wasted food prevention, commercial waste reduction, organics diversion, market development, and statewide education.
Over 3M
pounds of material diverted in FY26
RecyclingWorks MA helps translate statewide goals into practical action for businesses and institutions across Massachusetts.
Master Plan Alignment
Priorities in Action
Master Plan Priority
RecyclingWorks MA in Action
Source Reduction
Reusable serviceware guidance, reusable container initiatives, and waste prevention education
Reuse
More than 650 tons of materials reused
Wasted Food Reduction
Food donation, prevention assistance, and organics diversion
Commercial Waste Reduction
Technical assistance for businesses and institutions
Organics Management
Food scraps diversion and organics infrastructure support
Market Development
Hauler outreach, processor referrals, and stakeholder engagement
Education & Outreach
60 events and presentations delivered statewide
Building a Circular Economy
Strengthening Markets & Infrastructure
RecyclingWorks MA connects businesses with the haulers, processors, recyclers, reuse organizations, food donation networks, and service providers needed to keep useful materials in circulation.
Edible Food Recovery
Feeding Hungry People
FY2026 marked a step change in edible food recovery efforts. Consistent with the Wasted Food Scale, donation keeps edible food in circulation at its highest and best use—feeding people—and this year, that impact grew dramatically as two major chains implemented new food donation programs.
Food Donation
150,000+
Pounds of edible food donated
The increase was driven by several large food businesses that established new donation programs with support from RecyclingWorks MA.
70+
Tons of edible food
1,100%
Increase in donated food
125,000+
Meals for people across Massachusetts
Businesses and institutions supported through RecyclingWorks MA donated more than 150,000 pounds of edible food during FY26. The increase was driven by several large food businesses that established new donation programs with support from RecyclingWorks MA.
That recovered food was equivalent to more than 125,000 meals for people across Massachusetts.
Cumulative Massachusetts Data
Wasted Food Prevention
16,567
tons prevented to date
| Date Reported | Commercial Customers | New Annual Prevented (tons) | Total Annual Prevented (tons) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY19 | 145 | 1,025 | 1,025 |
| FY20 | 154 | 448 | 1,473 |
| FY21 | 296 | 169 | 1,642 |
| FY22 | 447 | 437 | 2,079 |
| FY23 | 576 | 640 | 2,719 |
| FY24 | 531 | 714 | 3,433 |
| FY25 | 716 | 763 | 4,196 |
| FY26 | 716 | 763 | 4,959 |
Collected by RecyclingWorks MA. Includes data from seven companies that responded in 2024–2025. FY26 data is estimated using previous-year data where responses were unavailable.
Technical Assistance
Waste Reduction Assistance
The RecyclingWorks hotline connects Massachusetts businesses and institutions with recycling experts who provide guidance on waste reduction, recycling, composting, and other materials management solutions, while helping organizations identify opportunities for technical assistance.
1,487
Hotline inquiries answered during FY26
Throughout FY26, CET staff responded to 1,487 hotline inquiries, assisting businesses with everything from one-time questions to more in-depth support that developed into direct technical assistance (TA).
Statewide Reach
Assistance Across Massachusetts
FY2026
Diverted Materials
1,650
tons diverted*
46%
48%
4%
2%
Wasted Food / Organics
769 tons · 46%
Recyclables
780 tons · 48%
Reuse / Reduced
29 tons · 2%
Food Donated
72 tons · 4%
*Numbers reflect only activity that could be quantified and confirmed; actual impact of RecyclingWorks MA is likely greater.
128
Environmental Justice Communities
Businesses located in Environmental Justice Communities received technical assistance and personalized recommendations through targeted in-person outreach and canvassing.
Mount Holyoke College
Supporting Schools, Colleges & Institutions
Building Circular Systems on Campus
RecyclingWorks MA worked closely with educational institutions in FY26, supporting waste prevention, cafeteria sorting, composting, reusable serviceware, and recycling improvements.
Wasted Food Prevention Cafeteria Sorting School Composting Reusable Serviceware Recycling Improvements
Mount Holyoke College
The college’s reusable takeout container initiative demonstrates how higher education can reduce disposable packaging while maintaining convenience and service quality.
Read the case studyWhat We Learned
Trends and Observations
Several clear themes emerged from FY2026 technical assistance and customer conversations. RecyclingWorks MA serves businesses, institutions, and organizations across sectors, and this year’s assistance surfaced both broad operational patterns and especially strong momentum among schools and school districts.
Positive Takeaways
Where We Saw Momentum
01
Strong traction with schools and school districts, particularly around cafeteria waste systems, share tables, and food donation programs.
02
More frequent use of RecyclingWorks MA’s customized and translated signage across customer types, suggesting that clear, site-specific communication continues to be an important implementation tool.
Communication in Practice
Customized & Translated Signage
Translated signage continued to be in demand this year, including a complete set of template signs in Vietnamese, easy-to-read infographics for liquids and cardboard in Spanish and Portuguese, and more.
![Example of translated RecyclingWorks MA trash signage](https://recyclingworksma.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/French-RW-TEMPLATE_Trash_QR-CODE-2.pdf.webp")
Recurring Observations
Patterns Seen Across Businesses
Collection Systems
Cardboard-only collection remains common among businesses, even where broader single-stream recycling is feasible. RecyclingWorks MA consistently recommends capturing all recyclable materials accepted by the customer’s service provider to maximize diversion.
Operational Factors
Separate cardboard collection may be driven by market and operational factors, including lower costs, reduced contamination risk, and simpler handling compared with mixed recyclables.
Recycling Visibility
Recyclables collected in black bags continue to create avoidable disposal risk. Because bagged contents cannot be easily verified, these materials may be managed as trash rather than recycling.
Where assistance can have the greatest impact
Together, these observations help clarify where assistance can have the greatest impact: aligning collection systems with available services, improving container labeling, reducing use of opaque/single color bags, and reinforcing sorting expectations through staff training.
Customer-Noted Challenges
Common Barriers to Implementation
01
Added costs for food scrap hauling remain a continuous barrier, especially when trash service cannot be reduced enough to offset the new expense.
02
Budget cycles can slow adoption of food scrap hauling because customers may need months to secure approval for new service costs.
03
Behavior change remains a significant implementation challenge for staff, students, patients, residents, and other participants.
04
Customers often need more time and resources for training when launching or expanding food scrap collection, recycling, share tables, or donation programs.
Emerging Opportunity
One hauler has expressed interest in securing lower trash rates once food-scrap collection is in place. If this model becomes more widely available, it could help customers better align service costs with diversion efforts and reduce a persistent financial barrier to food scrap collection.
Compost Site Technical Assistance
Real Impact · Real Solutions
Composting is Easy Breezy at Beech Bluff Farm
At Beech Bluff Farm, technical assistance for the compost site began with the practical realities of running an active operation: managing day-to-day site conditions, responding to odor and pest pressures, and carefully considering what it would take to grow responsibly.
RecyclingWorks MA worked alongside the farm through Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical assistance, helping the team move from immediate troubleshooting toward a clearer plan for long-term improvement.
Technical Assistance in Action
Along the way, RecyclingWorks MA supported Beech Bluff Farm by:
01
Providing Tier 1 and Tier 2 compost site technical assistance focused on operations and site management.
02
Offering guidance to help address odor and pest pressures.
03
Helping the farm shift from short-term problem-solving to a longer-term improvement plan.
04
Supporting continued planning for future expansion goals.
From troubleshooting to long-term planning
Beech Bluff Farm demonstrates the value of meeting compost site operators where they are. With the right mix of practical referrals, technical guidance, and steady support, a site can move from solving urgent challenges to building confidence in its next steps, strengthening both its own operation and the broader composting infrastructure Massachusetts needs.
Building on the Approach
RecyclingWorks MA will build on this approach by offering intentional discovery sessions for compost site operators in the coming year. These early conversations will give sites a low-barrier way to talk through their needs, understand available support, and decide whether more in-depth technical assistance could help them take the next step.
RecyclingWorks MA provided high-quality, accurate referrals and information on vendors and markets.
Compost Site TA Customer
Statewide Engagement
Outreach & Education
Education and stakeholder engagement are essential to achieving statewide waste reduction goals. During FY26, RecyclingWorks MA participated in or delivered 60 presentations, conferences, webinars, workshops, and stakeholder meetings.
60
Presentations, conferences, webinars, workshops, and stakeholder meetings during FY26
Climate Week NYC
Events & Engagements
Connecting with businesses, partners, and communities
Climate Week NYC participation
New England Restaurant & Bar Show
Sustainability Day at the State House
Massachusetts Food System Forum
Compost Site Operators Webinar
Massachusetts Farm & Sea to School Conference
MassRecycle events
Business and municipal presentations statewide
80+
Total hybrid attendance
RecyclingWorks MA Forum
Bringing Ideas, Partners, and Practical Solutions Together
This spring, RecyclingWorks MA convened businesses, institutions, municipalities, and partners from across the Commonwealth to share practical strategies for reducing waste, donating surplus food, and expanding reuse.
Read our recap, “8 Lessons from the RecyclingWorks MA 2026 Spring Forum,” for key takeaways, speaker insights, and resources to help organizations turn ideas into action.
Read the Forum recapWebsite & Digital Engagement
Connecting People with Resources
RecyclingWorks MA expanded its digital resources during FY26 while improving how visitors find guidance, navigate the website, and connect with technical assistance.
Website
More Resources. Easier to Find.
RecyclingWorks MA published 12 new blog posts and redesigned key website experiences to make guidance easier to find, understand, and use.
12
new blog posts
55%
of new users came from organic search
700+
sessions from ChatGPT
+170%
growth in ChatGPT traffic over FY25
Find a Recycler Tool
Website Traffic
Most Viewed Resources
Search continued to connect visitors with practical guidance, service providers, and materials management resources.
01
Homepage
Nearly 17,000 views
02
Find a Recycler database
Over 13,000 views
03
Textile Recycling Guidance
Nearly 9,000 views
04
Find a Recycler Tool
Nearly 3,000 views
05
Wasted Food Estimation Guide
Nearly 2,500 views
Growing Resources
Strong Growth in Key Guidance
+80%
Textile Recycling Guidance
+165%
Food Donation page
+450%
Best Management Practices for Food Donation
Multi-Lingual Visitors
Reaching Users in Multiple Languages
The five most common browser and device languages were English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and French.
English
Spanish
Chinese
Portuguese
French
4,900
page views from users with Spanish language settings
Google Analytics language data reflects browser or device settings
and does not necessarily indicate use of a translated website page.
Website Improvements
Built Around How People Find and Use Information
01
Easier navigation
Key pages were redesigned with clearer content blocks, stronger visual hierarchy, and more direct paths to guidance and technical assistance.
02
Greater accessibility
Improvements to contrast, headings, links, alternative text, keyboard access, responsive layouts, and content organization support alignment with WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508.
03
Better search & AI discoverability
Technical updates help search engines and AI-powered tools identify, interpret, and surface RecyclingWorks MA public resources.
X
725
followers
Facebook
604
followers · +5%
Instagram
131
followers · +25%
Top Performing Posts
FY2026 Social Highlights
#1
#2
CARE for the Cape & Islands + Use Less Plastic Coalition
169 Reach
18 Engagements
#3
NE Restaurant & Bar Show “Waste Doctor” Booth
76 Reach
12 Engagements
FY27
Looking Ahead
RecyclingWorks MA will continue supporting MassDEP’s Solid Waste Master Plan waste reduction goals.
01
Prevent
Expand wasted food prevention efforts and help organizations avoid waste before it is created.
02
Recover & Divert
Increase edible food recovery while helping businesses and institutions divert food scraps and other materials from disposal.
03
Reuse & Recycle
Expand technical assistance, partnerships, and resources for deconstruction, building material reuse, and construction and demolition recycling.
By helping organizations prevent waste, reuse more materials, recover edible food, and divert organics from disposal, RecyclingWorks MA will continue advancing Massachusetts’ Solid Waste Master Plan goal to divert 780,000 tons of food material from disposal on an annual basis by 2030.
Prevent more. Reuse more. Recover more.