The Newton-based electric bicycle (e-bike) business Watt Wagons is best known for setting a Guinness World Record in 2019 for their electric bike that rode 400 miles in 24 hours using less than one dollar of electricity. Watt Wagons assembles personalized e-bikes for sport and commuting, with a strong focus on environmental stewardship. The company was founded by Pushkar Phatak in 2018 when he started building e-bikes out of his garage.

In March 2021, Phatak moved his growing business to a new space in Newton where he recently implemented a robust cardboard recycling program. RecyclingWorks staff helped support Watt Wagons by providing recommendations for local recyclers, best practices on hauler contracting, and additional resources for starting a recycling program. Watt Wagons now has a 2-yard dumpster designated for cardboard only, and the company will recycle nearly 8,000 pounds of cardboard each year. In the near future, Watt Wagon intends to expand their services to include a parts and repair shop, as well as an e-waste recycling program for motor components.

RecyclingWorks offers free technical assistance to help businesses across the state reach their waste diversion goals. Cardboard is a readily recyclable material with well-established local markets for processing and manufacturing, and it is banned from disposal in Massachusetts. Visit our cardboard webpage for additional resources, including an instructional graphic that can be used as a training tool and visual reminder for staff collecting cardboard in a business or institutional setting. To speak to a RecyclingWorks recycling expert, call our hotline: (888) 254-5525 or email us at info@recyclingworksma.com.