Restaurants, colleges and universities, hotels, grocers, corporate and hospital cafeterias, caterers, and stadiums utilizing single-use takeout food containers and other disposables will likely find value in our new Reusable Containers BMP resource. The Implementation Guide will be your practical toolkit for getting started. What is the BMP? In November 2024, we published the Best Management…
Shakespeare & Company has made impressive strides in integrating sustainable practices into its operations. These ongoing efforts will contribute to the company’s sustainability goals and inspire others in the arts community to embrace eco-friendly practices.
Marty’s Local in MA is committed to sustainability, reducing waste, supporting local agriculture, and partnering with RecyclingWorks to enhance waste diversion.
RecyclingWorks MA will present at the SWAC meeting on Nov 7, 2024, covering topics like their annual report, The Green Team, and best practices for reusable takeout containers.
Located on Pine Street in the heart of Florence, Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity is a vibrant hub that enriches the community and carries on the building’s legacy of activism through their performance venue. Also known as the Florence Congregational Church, the historic building operates two houses of worship, a performance art space, a…
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is paving the way for a sustainable future with its ambitious Climate Action Plan for the Decade aiming to decarbonize campus operations by 2050. The heart of MIT’s sustainability mission lies in its quantitative impact goals that will touch every aspect of MIT life, from energy consumption to sustainable food…
Johnny’s Luncheonette, an iconic Newton diner with robust recycling and food waste diversion programs, continues to push the envelope in sustainability. The diner now offers a reusable takeout container program! Customers who choose to join the program can order menu items for takeout in containers that won’t end up in any waste, recycling, or composting…
A green demolition project at Simmons University in Boston recovered over a dozen tons (24,000 pounds) of material including furniture, fixtures, and glassware items. This massive reuse undertaking emerged from the remodeling of the University’s Park Science Center. The project entailed one year’s worth of planning and coordination among Simmons University staff, Elkus Manfredi Architects…
Replacing single-use foodservice container options with reusables can reduce both disposal costs and long-term purchasing needs for restaurants and other food service businesses. According to Clean Water Action, packaging waste makes up approximately 30% of waste disposed of in the US, and these products “consume a tremendous amount of resources — including oil, trees, energy,…
Breweries across Massachusetts are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability through waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and organics diversion opportunities. Here are just a few recent examples. Untold Brewing is a Scituate-based microbrewery with sustainability efforts focused on waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting, and water conservation. As recently reported by The Hingham Anchor, the micro-brewery diverts spent…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced 2020 and 2021 WasteWise and Food Recovery Challenge award winners, which included three Massachusetts organizations: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Lovin’ Spoonfuls Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School – Island Grown Schools Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) was recognized as a 2020 and 2021 National WasteWise…
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…
Learn how Brandeis University, a research institution in Waltham, implemented a dorm and public space recycling program with support from RecyclingWorks, and established a performance plan for their food service provider focused on eight sustainability goals.
Learn how Home City Development, Inc. (HCDI), a non-profit real estate developer based in Springfield, worked with RecyclingWorks to salvage materials for reuse during their renovation of the historic Elias Brookings School.
Although not accepted in typical residential or commercial single stream recycling programs in Massachusetts, plastic beer can toppers are often labeled with a recycling symbol that can be misleading for beer drinkers in the state. While some companies collect and reuse these can toppers, the reuse and recycling infrastructure for this material is still nascent.…
During the pandemic takeout meals have become the norm, enabling restaurants across Massachusetts to continue serving customers when in-person dining is limited. For consumers, this convenience comes with a trade-off: an abundance of packaging and single-use items that often cannot be recycled. For the food service industry, this means spending money to purchase items that…
In Fall 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) released the Draft 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan for public comment. The plan proposes aggressive goals for waste reduction, building on the 18 percent reduction in disposal per capita achieved from 2008 to 2018. This includes targeted reuse and recycling efforts for textiles, mattresses, and…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant program provides up to $5,000 to for-profit and non-profit organizations, regional authorities, and eligible municipalities for short-term waste reduction projects. Through the program, the MassDEP hopes to foster activities that benefit the environment and local economy by enhancing the value or extending the lifespan…
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…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has released the Draft 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan. The plan proposes aggressive goals for waste reduction, building on the 18 percent reduction in disposal per capita achieved from 2008 to 2018. MassDEP has developed and implemented extensive programs since releasing the previous Solid Waste Master Plan in…
When your workplace hosts an event, the waste needs may be different from your day-to-day operations. With some planning, you can reduce waste and ensure that materials from your event are recycled. Events are also a good opportunity to collect food scraps for composting if your business does not do so already. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts…
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is offering micro-grants of up to $5,000 for entities implementing short-term waste reduction projects in the state of Massachusetts. Waste reduction offers greater benefits than recycling, as it reduces both the volume of materials going to disposal and the volume of raw materials used during manufacturing. Eligible projects…
The US EPA estimates that approximately 500 million tons of demolition waste are sent to landfills each year, yet much of the ‘waste’ is reusable material. Over the last several decades, a growing network of businesses are realizing the significant opportunities in reclaiming valuable resources through the careful disassembly of buildings. A recent Ensia article…
The Boston Globe recently examined how several Massachusetts higher education institutions are responsibly managing the substantial accumulations of reusable materials on campus. When college and university students leave campus at the end of the school year, they collectively leave behind large quantities of furniture, appliances, clothing, and more. Additionally, many schools are left with surplus…
The Worcester Business Journal recently reported on the expansion of the Devens Eco-Efficiency Center’s recycling program, known as the Great Exchange. The Devens Eco-Efficiency Center created the Great Exchange in 2008 to acquire donated materials such as office supplies, packing materials, furniture, and arts and crafts supplies from area businesses and provide them at little…
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…
UMass Boston’s College of Management is hosting a panel on business opportunities in the circular economy. The concept of a circular economy takes a cradle-to-cradle approach in which products are designed intentionally in order to maximize product life as well as recycling and reuse opportunities. This paradigm shift will have sizable implications for our waste…
A recent Waste 360 article examines the challenges and opportunities associated with offices establishing recycling programs. Waste 360 interviewed Lorenzo Macaluso, an employee for the Center for EcoTechnology who administers the RecyclingWorks in MA program, regarding the management of office waste and steps to improve it. One challenge for offices, Macaluso notes, is finding the…
For participants in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) and WasteWise programs, annual 2016 data and 2017 goals are due March 31, 2017. Participants in either program must submit their 2016 data and 2017 goals in order to stay active and maintain eligibility to receive awards. Enter data and goals by accessing your account on…
Last spring, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (Mass DHCD) asked RecyclingWorks for help diverting materials from disposal when renovating its properties. RecyclingWorks assisted Mass DHCD with a project involving window, roofing, and siding replacement at seven residential properties in Bourne. The project included replacement of 147 vinyl windows. All of the windows,…
A recent Zero Waste Zone post describes a new partnership between the U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC) and the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC). The U.S. Green Business Council administers the LEED certification program which recognizes buildings for their sustainable building design, construction, operations, and maintenance. The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council offers a…
RecyclingWorks has been working with United Tool & Machine & Gaynor Industries to improve their recycling program and identify outlets for materials used in their manufacturing process. These manufacturing materials include scraps of neoprene and aramid fiber. RecyclingWorks connected United Tool & Machine with Extras for Creative Reuse, a store in Peabody that provides low and…
BusinessWest highlighted the 40 anniversary of the Center for EcoTechnology (CET). CET is the nonprofit organization that administers the RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, a program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. RecyclingWorks has helped hundreds of businesses and institutions, such as restaurants, food manufacturers, state facilities, and colleges and universities, to reduce waste. CET…
A recent PBS NewsHour story discusses the problem of discarded textiles and highlights the companies that are starting to make changes. Textile recycling has a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions, yet Americans are still throwing away 13 million tons of textiles each year. Some retailers incentivize customers to recycle their clothing at their stores by…
The Intercontinental Hotel in Boston has a range of green initiatives that include everything from an extensive recycling program to a rooftop apiary. Recently, the hotel changed over 550 reading lamps in their guestrooms and contacted the RecyclingWorks hotline for advice on what to do with the old fixtures. RecyclingWorks connected the Intercontinental Hotel with…
The Massachusetts Surplus Property Program helps connect extra equipment, materials, and supplies to entities that can put them to use. State departments periodically declare surplus property which is offered first to other state entities free of charge. After 30 days, any property that has not been claimed is offered to cities and towns for a…
A Boston Magazine article recently highlighted the work of Food For Free, a Cambridge-based non-profit, collects unused food from farmers’ markets, grocery stores, bakeries, and universities and donates it to food pantries, schools, and individuals in need of healthy food. Sasha Purpura, executive director of Food For Free, says “Our mission is to address hunger…
The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Conserve program is a resource to explore and learn about sustainability in the restaurant business. To promote the program, the NRA developed 4 tips from industry experts on easy practices to implement that enhance a restaurant’s sustainability and produce environmental benefits: Recycle your cardboard Conserve water by establishing a…
This blog post from Spoiler Alert, a company based in Cambridge (MA) that has an “app” for connecting generators of surplus food to food recovery organizations, provides a visualization of food waste generation throughout the state and within the Boston metropolitan region. Staff at Spoiler Alert utilized publicly available food waste generation data from the state of…
This press release from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) highlights thirteen New England organizations that have backed the Food Recovery Challenge, an initiative that encourages businesses, organizations and institutions to prevent food waste by donating or recycling food. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is among the organizations who have become “endorsers” of…
This article from Cape News provides an excellent overview of a proposed anaerobic digestion facility at the Bourne landfill. The town sent an exploratory team to visit another facility operated by the same company, Harvest Power, and found that the operation produced little no no odor or noise that could be a problem for the town.
This article from the Patriot Ledger details the responses of several grocery chains to the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban. Stop and Shop, for example, is planning a product recovery center which will generate enough gas to power the chain’s regional distribution warehouse. The value of the ban legislation is underlined by the lack of opposition…
This article and video from Elite Daily highlights the creative ways that French Supermarket chain Intermarche has found to repurpose and market spoiled or unappealing fruits and vegetables. Watch the video to see how discounting ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables became popular with their shoppers and has helped to utilize food that the producers would have otherwise…
The Boston Public library recently posted several items of furniture for free on the Reuse Marketplace, a regional network to exchange reusable and surplus items. These items are being offered only to governmental entities and nonprofits. Check out these FREE items of furniture: AV Stands Atlas Stands Metal Folding Chairs
This article from The Fall River Herald News highlights the Green Move Out program at UMass Dartmouth, run by a group of students. During this year’s move-out the group collected 4,300 pounds of items to donate to charity, diverting that material from the waste stream. This represents a 3,100 pound increase from last year’s results. UMass…
This article from High Rise Facilities notes that diverting food waste can help to reduce a hotel’s disposal costs. Please don’t be too alarmed by the title of the post; the Commercial Organics Waste Ban applies to businesses and institutions which produce one ton or more of organic waste each week. Visit our food waste…
This article from Masslive describes how various businesses in Massachusetts are preparing for the upcoming Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban beginning October 1, 2014. The article interviews representatives from Big Y, Martin’s Farm, Hope and Olive, and the Center for Ecotechnology. Interested in learning more about the commercial organics waste ban and best management practices for…
This article from Masslive highlights the work being done by Martin’s Farm, a family-owned Greenfield farm which has been taking in compost for 20 years, helping Franklin County to lead the way in commercial composting. The article gives an especially incisive look at the steps involved in commercial composting, from intake of waste through processing…
This article from wcvb.com highlights the great work being done by Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston-based food-rescue organization. Grocery stores often have a hard time selling bruised or blemished produce; instead of that unsold food going out with the trash, Lovin’ Spoonfuls collects and distributes it to soup kitchens and other organizations that feed the hungry.…
Making Move-Out a Sustainability Success Story College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC) Webinar, Thursday, February 13, 2014, 1:00-2:30 PM EST Click here to register! For the 2,100 colleges and universities with on-campus housing serving nearly 3 million student residents, move-out will generate a tsunami of reusable clothing, electronics and other household goods. Find out how…
The Massachusetts College and University Recycling Council (CURC) will meet Tuesday, January 14th at 9 AM to discuss the issue of textile recycling. The robust and innovative market for re-purposed textiles will be discussed and success stories shared from the industry. Speakers will include: Bill LaBelle – Goodwill Industries – “Goodwill Not Landfill” – http://www.bu.edu/sustainability/what-were-doing/waste-reduction/goodwill-not-landfill/ Larry…
This article from The Economist notes the necessity for large food waste generators to prepare for compliance with the July 2014 advent of the Commercial Organics Material Ban. The article contextualizes the Massachusetts law as part of a trend which began in Europe and is spreading to the United States, particularly in areas where the cost…
This article from GazetteNet.com notes two local efforts to reduce waste, including Big E’s Market, where owner Michael Superson worked with the RecyclingWorks program to implement an award-winning composting program at the supermarket. According to Superson, a deciding factor in the decision to implement the program was an estimate from RecyclingWorks of the amount of waste…
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has begun to work with the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) to help reduce food waste and use the data they collect to help identify areas with the greatest potential for such reduction. This article from LeanPath describes how the NRA sees the reduction of food waste as a way to…
The South Hadley landfill will close next year, part of a trend throughout the country. This article by 22News describes alternatives to landfills such as incinerators, while highlighting the overall necessity to find innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle as the closure of landfills makes disposal more expensive. The article notes the upcoming Commercial Organics Material…
Food donation is the second highest priority on EPA’s food waste hierarchy, after source reduction. Check out the new RecyclingWorks Donate Food page to learn more about food donation programs, how to start one in your place of business, and to find a list of food banks and food rescue organizations in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has a brand new textile recycling web page, full of information for municipalities, schools, and the general public on state and regional initiatives to how and where textiles can be recycled. Check it out!
Join Reuse Alliance MA for the 2013 Reuse Summit at EcoBuilding Bargains in Springfield! When: October 22nd, 12pm-3:30pm Where: EcoBuilding Bargains, 83 Warwick Street ,Springfield MA 01104 RSVP and more information: http://reusesummitma2013.eventbrite.com/
Looking for something, but don’t want to buy it new? The Reuse Marketplace is the place to go. From pallet jacks to museum display cases to LaserJet printer cartridges, the Reuse Marketplace has what you need at a reduced price. Can’t find what you want? A quick post on the “Wanted” forum lets other viewers see what you need. …
Free Webinar on the Reuse Marketplace: Capture Value. Exchange Reusable Items. Save Money. Reduce Waste. Join us for a Webinar on March 13 Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/944987978 The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC) has launched the Reuse Marketplace , a website where businesses, government, institutions, and non-profits can post…
