Coalesce, an organization that works with colleges and universities to develop collaborative solutions to improve sustainability, recently wrote on the challenges posed by compostable plastics for food waste diversion programs. Many institutions, especially universities, have switched to BPI certified disposable compostable products, such as cold cups and cutlery, rather than traditional plastic options. Most compost…
Experts estimate that approximately 8.5 million tons of furniture waste is sent to landfills each year, even though much of the “waste” is still usable either as parts or as a whole. Over the past decade, though, increased interest in furniture waste has forged important and fruitful relationships, according to a Waste360 article highlighting the…
When Berkshire Community College (BCC) saw the opportunity to defend their 2016 statewide RecycleMania title, they didn’t waste it. Four Massachusetts schools – BCC, Hampshire College, Endicott College, and UMass Amherst – placed in the top 50 of the college & university recycling challenge. BCC took the top prize for the state and claimed 4th…
The Foxborough Patch reports that MassRecycle awarded their annual Recycler of the Year in the Business category to Patriot Place. The award is given to a business that has developed and operates an outstanding recycling/waste reduction program that increases recycling and/or reduces waste generated by their business. The award comes as a result of Patriot…
In the face of a changing dairy market, Barstow’s Longview Dairy Farm in Hadley, MA capitalized on another product from their cows: manure. Manure Manager reports that Vanguard Renewables invested in the construction of an anaerobic digester that allows the farm to repurpose the manure as both fuel and fertilizer while reducing business operation costs.…
An article in WasteDive reports on a new program to train hotel staff on effective food waste reduction strategies. The program is the result of a new partnership between the Rockefeller Foundation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). Instead of wasting leftover food, the pilot program encourages hotels and their…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Recycling Business Development Grant (RBDG) program is currently accepting applications for its 2017 cycle. The program, now in its second year, aims to assist recycling processors and manufacturers in creating sustainable markets for difficult-to-process materials, and to add value to municipal and business recycling efforts. For this round of…
RecycleMania, a national competition to mobilize waste reduction at colleges and universities, is accepting case study submissions for creative waste reduction or educational campaigns. The RecycleMania Campus Engagement Case Study Competition is a way for colleges and universities to showcase their efforts to reduce waste and influence institutional and personal practices. There are three types…
A BioCycle article demonstrates the progress Massachusetts has accomplished in eliminating food waste and the continuing challenges and opportunities for growth. The article was written by John Fischer, Branch Chief for Commercial Waste Reduction at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Elizabeth Johnston who is a Senior Manager at ICF’s Cambridge office. Massachusetts has…
In March, the Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) called the RecyclingWorks hotline to find an outlet for the surplus food from a meal prepared for their overnight snow crew. RecyclingWorks provided the Cambridge DPW with several potential food rescue outlets to help donate these surplus meals. The Cambridge DPW connected with the St. Bartholomew’s…
