This month, EPA New England awarded the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Center for EcoTechnology (CET) Environmental Merit Awards. Since 1970, Environmental Merit Awards have recognized individuals and groups in New England for working to protect and improve New England’s environment. The MassDEP, along with corresponding agencies in Connecticut and Vermont, was…
The EPA’s New England Beacon reports on the impact Café de Boston and other restaurants have by joining the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC). This May Café de Boston, joined the FRC. The buffet and prepared foods eatery is on track to divert 30 tons of food waste from the landfill this year. The Environmental…
The Foodservice Packaging Recovery Toolkit is a free resource and guide on recovering foodservice packaging that was launched on April 21, 2016. Foodservice packaging includes items such as boxes, bags, and cups. The Foodservice Packaging Institute is a North American trade association for foodservice packaging industry. Within the institute, the Paper Recovery Alliance, and Plastics…
Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) reports on the impacts of the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban on their members. MASCO, a nonprofit organization for Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic area (LMA), strives to benefit those who live, work, study or receive care in the area. MASCO members have increased their food waste diversion…
The Huffington Post reports on the Food Recovery Network’s role in reducing the amount of wasted food on college campuses. The article cites RecyclingWorks’ Food Waste Estimation Guide in calculating that an average student living on campus throws away 141 pounds of uneaten food annually. Because of the large volume of wasted food on college…
Renewable Energy from Waste reports on Stop & Shop Supermarket’s Green Energy Facility in Freetown, Massachusetts, which opened April 15. The Green Energy Facility will accept wasted food from the 212 New England Stop & Shop stores and convert this food into energy. The Green Energy Facility estimates that 34,000 tons of inedible food can…
Berkshire Community College (BCC) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts placed 1st in the state and 5th in the nation for recycling rates in the RecycleMania Tournament! The college earned this title with a 75% recycling rate. The recycling rate was measured by the percentage of total waste that was recycled and composted over the course of the…
The Eagle Tribune published an Earth Day article by Martin Suuberg, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Suuberg’s article highlights partnerships and collaborations to promote goals and creative solutions for environmental protection. He provides the example of Massachusetts Clean Energy Partnership for Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. This partnership includes the Greater…
Practice Greenhealth is hosting a five-part series, “Feed People, Not Landfills,” on reducing food waste in hospitals. Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit membership organization, is a source for environmental solutions in the healthcare sector, including webinars, eLearning, and educational programs. The five webinars focus on food waste assessment, prevention, donation, and management in the health care…
The Recorder reports on one of the first Massachusetts permitted, on-farm composting operation, Martin’s Compost Farm. Robert Martin’s farm was permitted by Mass DEP in 1987. In 2014, Adam Martin, son of Robert, was motivated to take over the farm because of the positive environmental and community benefits of composting. Today, Martin’s Compost Farm is…
