Recycling News & Updates

Thank you for reading this e-newsletter and for sharing it -- especially with those who are moving in the next couple weeks. We appreciate your help reducing waste!

In This Issue:
  • "Get Rid of It Right" Move Out Video - share widely!
  • Moving Season Reminders
  • Order Recycling Materials
  • Seeking Enthusiastic School Composting Helpers
  • Bring Your Own Bag Ordinance a Success
  • Part-Time Opportunities
Watch video here.
"Get Rid of It Right" This Move Out Season

Plan ahead for move out day, and give your stuff a second chance at life! 

You're protecting the environment, and reducing waste. 

Click the image to the right to watch a short video and visit www.CambridgeMA.Gov/MoveOut  for more information.
Moving Season Reminders

Moving Out?
 
Donate It
  • Clothing and Textiles: ALL CLEAN, DRY TEXTILES can go in drop boxes found around Cambridge. Stained, torn, broken or incomplete OK. More info here. Use our Google Donate Map to find donation boxes. Good stuff gets reused and damaged stuff gets repurposed. Not accepted in curbside recycling.
  • Furniture in Good Condition: Plan ahead and arrange for a pickup of items from inside your home. Coalition for the Homeless does Cambridge pickups twice a month, and sometimes more, including Aug 28 - Sept 9! Complete the Pickup Request Form. They take all sorts of furniture as well as rugs, lamps, dishes, pots & pans, and blankets & linens. Check out other options: CambridgeMA.Gov/Furniture.
  • Household Goods (clean, good-condition): Goodwill, 520 Mass. Ave. / Boomerangs, 563 Mass. Ave. / Some items accepted on swap shelves at the Recycling Center.
  • Freecycle and Craig's List: Freecycle: People give away and get stuff for free. Craigslist: People submit online classifieds, "For Sale" section includes a "Free" category.
  • Get Rid of It Right: City's online resource with details on how to recycle, donate or dispose of just about anything.
Sell It
  • On-line: ebay, letgo, Craigslist are just a few examples of where you can sell your stuff
  • Bring to a Consignment Shop or have a Yard Sale 
Recycle in the Curbside Bin
Common Curbside Recycling Mistakes - Leave It Out
  • NO Electronics:  Special recycling or donate.
  • NO Pots, Pans, Hangers or Other Scrap Metal: Bring metal items to the Recycling Center. Many dry cleaners accept metal hangers for reuse.
  • NO Blinds/Shades, Ceramics, Dishes, Glasses, Mirrors, Frames, Video/Cassette Tapes: Donate items in good-condition, otherwise place in trash.
  • NO Clothing or Textiles: Donate all dry and clean textiles. More info here.
  • NO Plastic Bags: Bring empty, clean and dry bags to designated bins at store entrances or the Recycling Center (clean, dry bubble and shrink wrap and air pillows also accepted at RC).
Special Handling Required

Moving In?

Recycling is Mandatory in Cambridge - and Easy!
Review what is accepted in the curbside recycling program closely. Curbside recycling is primarily for clean containers, papers and cardboard. Recycling helps the environment and significantly reduces waste disposal costs for the city. Stay in the loop and subscribe below to receive the monthly e-newsletter from Cambridge Recycling.
 
What to Do with Packaging
  • Cardboard Boxes: Place in or next to recycling bin. Make sure boxes are empty (no Styrofoam, bubble wrap, or trash). Flatten when possible. Try to reuse! Post your moving boxes on Freecycle or Craigslist.
  • Bubble Wrap, Air Pillows, Shrink Wrap: Place with plastic bags at the Recycling Center during open hours. Must be empty, clean, and dry. Review accepted plastic film items here. Do not place in the curbside recycling.
  • Styrofoam Blocks and Peanuts: Blocks go in the trash. Bring peanuts to a UPS Store or to the Recycling Center during open hours for reuse. No cornstarch peanuts, which dissolve in water. Do not place in the curbside recycling.
  • Blister Packaging: Hard clear plastic form packaging can be recycled in the curbside program.
Shop Second-Hand
Shopping second-hand is much more affordable, fun, green, supports the local economy, and you can find great stuff! 

Local Second-Hand Shops:  Check out the red, green, and yellow pins on  this map
 
Stuff Sale, the biggest yard sale in Cambridge:  Aug 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 & Sept 3, 4, 5. O pen to all from 9 AM - 5 PM, located at the Harvard Science Center Plaza at 1 Oxford Street. You'll find mini-fridges, rugs, lamps, futons, storage bins and hundreds of other items useful to anyone setting up an apartment. Proceeds support Harvard Habitat for Humanity's mission to build housing for the needy. 

On-line: Try Freecycle, Craigslist, ebay, letgo.
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Have New Residents? Faded Labels? Order Recycling Materials!

  • recycling flyers with translations* (8.5x14)
  • toters
  • toter labels
  • "no trash, no plastic bags" stickers
  • "donate more trash less" flyers*
  • refrigerator magnets
  • translated recycling information sheets* (Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Creole, Ethiopian (Amharic)) 

*Also found in the "Educate Residents" section here.

 

Thank you for helping to spread the word! 
Help Cambridge Kids Compost in the Cafeteria!

As kids head back to school they need help remembering "what goes where," as well as why recycling and composting is important. Additionally, new students need to be introduced to the program. Please consider joining us at a few school breakfasts and/or lunches at the start of the school year. We need many people to join in, as all 13 public schools now compost their food scraps, so sign up today, and tell a friend! 

Email us  to learn more.  Thank you!!
Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) Ordinance a Success

 
Public Works staff and volunteers from the Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee performed a study in July at several large Cambridge businesses and found a sizeable reduction in the consumption of single-use bags.
 
"What we observed was significant," said Meera Singh of the Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee. "We saw a reduction in single-use bags of 50-80% across this group."
 
Part-Time Opportunities

Cambridge Recycling is hiring a  Recycling & Composting Outreach Assistant.
 
Public Works is also hiring an  Energy & Sustainability Intern.
Stay in the loop!
to this monthly e-newsletter!
  • Missed recycling, yard waste, compost or trash?  Please use Commonwealth Connect and report it online or via mobile app (iPhone/Android) or call DPW at 617-349-4800 by 12 noon the day after collection to make a request.
  • Need toters, brochures, labels, or posters? Email recycle@cambridgema.gov or fill out this form
  • Following a weekday holiday, curbside trash, recycling, compost and yard waste collection is delayed one day. Check the 2016 collection schedule.
Our address:
Cambridge Department of Public Works
147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge MA 02139
(617) 349-4800
recycle@cambridgema.gov
Cambridge Dept. of Public Works | Recycling | 617-349-4800 | recycle@cambridgema.gov
The Recycling Division of the Cambridge Department of Public Works
encourages people to consume less, reuse and donate materials,
and recycle what cannot be eliminated or re-used.

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