Construction projects can create a significant amount of waste, filling up dumpsters and costing money in tipping fees. However, there are a number of outlets that exist for usable building materials extracted from a site before demolition begins. Common casualties of construction, such as usable furniture, fixtures like cabinets and toilets, lumber and windows and…
Starting next month, food and beverage manufacturers and processors have the opportunity to participate in a no-cost Lean manufacturing course. This course aims to help manufacturers reduce environmental impacts related to the use of energy, water, waste, and toxics through changes in processes, equipment, and behavior. Offered by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), and…
Home City Development, Inc. (HCDI) is a non-profit affordable housing developer in the Springfield region. HCDI purchased the Elias Brookings School in 2018, which had been left vacant since the 2011 tornado that ravaged the city. Before beginning renovations on the vacant 50,000 square foot school building, HCDI saw an opportunity to donate and recycle…
As restaurants and eateries have pivoted to offer more to-go meal options during the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of single-use packaging has increased. Businesses seeking to save money and reduce waste can reap numerous benefits while demonstrating a commitment to sustainability by reviewing and adopting different practices for to-go items. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) now…
With reduced demand in the service industry, some fresh food suppliers are experiencing high inventory levels. This is resulting in the delivery of products that have been in storage for longer than normal. As described by Leanpath, the delivery of products with a reduced shelf life can impact quality and pose challenges to businesses that…
Tatte Bakery & Café has partnered with the nonprofit food rescue organization Rescuing Leftover Cuisine to redirect edible surplus food for donation, according to WickedLocal. The employee-led program launched in June 2020, and currently takes place at ten of the chain’s eighteen locations. With pick-ups on Mondays and Thursdays, the business has recovered about 180…
Massachusetts businesses and institutions now have an additional outlet to handle their packaged and unpackaged wasted food. As recently reported by Biocycle, a new depackaging and processing Organics Recycling Facility (ORF) in Agawam is now fully operational. Owned and operated by Vanguard Renewables, the 13,000 square foot fully-enclosed facility is the newest addition to a…
Many in business are familiar with the phrase, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” After observing restaurants struggling to monitor their wasted food and reasons for product loss, Phood created a new tool to help businesses track and improve food inventory management. According to Green Biz, Phood has drawn on artificial intelligence technology to…
As described by Forbes, Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray is one of the latest brands partnering with TerraCycle to reduce the disposal of single-use materials. Through this partnership, consumers can collect the empty flexible plastic packaging used for Ocean Spray snack products and send these items to TerraCycle for recycling using a pre-paid shipping label. Looking beyond…
On November 10, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) hosted the Fall 2020 WasteWise Forum Webinar in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This year’s fall forum focused on strategies for businesses and institutions that help maximize food waste diversion, with presentations from the Massachusetts College of…
