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 Lawrence Sanitary District, a facility that is also implementing an “Organics-to-Energy” program.
The Clean Energy Partnership has helped contribute to cost savings and removal of carbon dioxide emissions to help combat the energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions that result from treating and distributing 662 billion gallons of drinking water and wastewater every year.
Martin Suuberg recognizes the Clean Energy Partnership for participating without regulation, resulting in more than $35 million cost savings for participating communities, and removing over 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere.
The “Organics-to-Energy” program means the Greater Lawrence Sanitary Districts’ anaerobic digesters will soon be combing their sewer sludge with source-separated organics to produce heat, electricity, and help power their operations. This program was funded with support from Massachusetts’s Clean Water Trust, MassDEP grants, and the Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Thanks to partnership, support, and collaboration, the GLSD’s program could possibly meet up to 40% of Massachusetts’ organics diversion goal.
Businesses and institutions can contribute to the organics diversion goal by setting up recycling and food waste diversion programs, while also complying with the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. As Commissioner Martin Suuberg writes in the Earth Day article, “The Baker-Polito Administration values collaboration, and to reach our environmental protection goals, everyone must play a role.”
RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts is a recycling assistance program for businesses and institutions. If you need assistance with setting up a composting or recycling program, call our hotline: (888) 254-5525 or email us at info@recyclingworksma.com.