In 2017, developer and property manager J. Rockwell Allen (Rocky) converted a long-vacant building on the former Northampton State Hospital site into The Columns at Rockwell Place (The Columns), a LEED-certified multifamily property comprising of 25 condominium units. The Columns offers residents electric car chargers, recycling, and food waste collection for composting at no cost.…
“Our customers hold us to a high standard, so we want to hold ourselves to an even higher standard” – Jaclyn Graham, Chief Communications Officer for Nashoba Brook Bakery. On November 10, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) hosted the Fall 2021 WasteWise Forum Webinar in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the…
The Recycling & Reuse Business Development Grant (RBDG) program is intended to help Massachusetts recycling processors and manufacturers create sustainable markets for eligible materials, and to add value to municipal and business recycling efforts. Selected applicants will receive grant awards of between $50,000 and $400,000. Targeted materials for the 2021 RBDG are: Container glass: developing…
As reported by Cape Cod Times, the Massachusetts Oyster Project successfully collected 25,000 pounds of shells from Wellfleet restaurants. These shells will be scattered along the Wellfleet harbor to restore oyster habitat instead of going for disposal. Eight local Wellfleet restaurants signed up for the pilot program and successfully sorted the shells into designated containers…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has published the final 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan and announced the following amendments to the waste ban regulations, which will be effective on November 1, 2022: Mattresses will be banned from disposal. Textiles will be banned from disposal. The Commercial Organics Disposal Ban will apply to businesses…
Good Filling, a Boston-based company that sells refillable home-care and personal-care products, was recently awarded a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant. These grants can be up to $5,000 and are awarded to for-profit and non-profit organizations, as well as eligible municipalities, for short-term waste reduction projects. Good Filling will be…
Clearly labelling all waste containers and collection areas is key to increasing waste diversion while also reducing unnecessary contamination. Signage that references common materials generated on-site can boost employee confidence around recycling and serve as a great educational tool. Posting clear and easy-to-understand signage on recycling, organics, and trash containers is also important for public-facing…
Since 2014, when the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) enacted the Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban, businesses and institutions across the state have increasingly started diverting food waste. While food waste diversion leads to significant environmental benefits, it also has potential to provide cost savings for businesses, and opens up opportunities to address customer…
The supermarket industry in Massachusetts has long been a leader in diverting wasted food from disposal. Recent media coverage highlights successful food recovery efforts conducted by three grocery chains with locations in Massachusetts: Hannaford Supermarkets, Stop & Shop and Whole Foods Market. These grocery retailers, as well as many others, employ strategies across the EPA…
In April this year, Boston University announced its new Zero Waste Plan. Named “Reimagining Waste as a Resource,” the institution has big plans for shifting mentalities in the Boston University community around waste, and eliminating wasteful practices throughout material life cycles. The ambitious plan aims to reuse or recycle at least 90% of the institution’s…
