The new Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Reduce & Reuse (R&R) working group hosted a kickoff meeting on March 4, 2020. The group was established to assist in the development of a MassDEP Strategic Reduce and Reuse Action Plan, as outlined in the 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan. The working group is open to…
As many Massachusetts restaurants, institutions, event venues, and other businesses face temporary closures due to COVID-19, there is a large amount of surplus food that cannot be utilized or sold. To keep this food out of the trash and help support the local community, many of these entities are seeking ways to donate edible food…
Recent restrictions and closures due to COVID-19 may leave your business or institution with excess food in your inventory. Whether you are a restaurant, college or university, supermarket, or other business, consider donating your surplus, edible food to the local community rather than throwing it away. Many food rescue organizations are currently able to distribute…
Each year, grocery stores in the United States generate as much as 300 million pounds of rigid plastics in their operations. This material, found in bakery, deli & seafood, and pharmacy departments, is not typically accepted in most single stream or dual-stream recycling programs but can be recovered and recycled as a separate stream. Recycling…
While appealing to customers, salad bars and other buffets can generate sizeable quantities of food waste. Colleges and universities, restaurants, hospitality venues, and other businesses with this food service model often face challenges when balancing the appearance of abundance with food waste reduction and the potential for overproduction. LeanPath recently reported on a number of…
Clark University is a private institution in Worcester with over 3,000 students, faculty, and staff. Through dedicated leadership and Sustainable Clark, the university has engaged the campus community in a variety of waste diversion programs. In addition to running a comprehensive recycling and composting program, Clark continually re-evaluates their waste programs by identifying opportunities to…
Anaerobic digestion infrastructure has expanded in Massachusetts, creating an important outlet for commercial organic waste. One company, Vanguard Renewables, operates five anaerobic digesters on dairy farms across the state, which provide opportunities for supermarkets, food manufacturers, restaurants, and other businesses to divert their food material from disposal and comply with the Massachusetts commercial organics waste…
A recent article from Business West spotlights several businesses in Western Massachusetts that are using various strategies to tackle unnecessary waste. As the article demonstrates, there are often many opportunities for businesses to make small operational and purchasing changes that prioritize reuse, recycling, and food waste diversion. Â Monsoon Roastery, a coffee roastery in Springfield,…
Raytheon is a technology company headquartered in Waltham that specializes in solutions for cybersecurity, defense, and civil government. The company is striving to achieve a 90% diversion rate and TRUE Zero Waste certification at their sites across the country, including a manufacturing facility in Tewksbury. This effort involves taking a closer look at opportunities to…
According to the US EPA, nearly 30% of all solid waste is comprised of containers and product packaging. Despite significant progress in Massachusetts, over 600,000 tons of plastic was disposed of in 2018, including single use items, rigid plastics, and film plastics. In an effort to achieve statewide waste reduction goals, MassDEP aims to reduce…
