Recycling News & Updates

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In This Issue:
  • Curbside Composting Update
  • 2017 Household Hazardous Waste Dates
  • Join Our Schools "Compost Crew"
  • Did You Know? Behind the Scenes of Glass Recycling
  • Document Shredding Date: March 11 2017

Curbside Composting Update

We've received hundreds of inquiries about curbside composting since the program expanded in October 2015. Currently all 1-12 unit buildings in the Monday collection route have access to the program. We collect about 7 tons of food waste for composting weekly. 

If you are participating in the curbside compost pilot, we need your feedback on the program! Email Recycling Director Mike Orr to get a link to our 3-5 minute survey. 

We hope to expand the program in the next year or two, but it requires a major investment. We will update residents via this monthly newsletter for any updates.

In the meantime, consider composting your food scraps via one of our 4 drop off locations. 
2017 Household Hazardous Waste Dates


Visit our page for more info on what is accepted (i.e. paint, fluorescent bulbs, and non-alkaline batteries) and how to Get Rid of Household Hazardous Waste Right

You may also consider alternative disposal sites such as hardware stores for fluorescent bulbs or consider using Craigslist or Freecycle to dispose of leftover paint. 
Join Our Schools "Compost Crew"

As of 2016, all 13 Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) have food scraps composting. Last year, about 100 tons of food waste was diverted from the landfill and composted from all public schools. 
 
To sustain this effort, we're looking for passionate volunteers to join our Compost Crew. Volunteers help students compost and recycle their waste correctly.  We are currently seeking volunteers who can commit to going to a school once a week or every two weeks for 2-3 hours during breakfast or lunch. 

If you or yourself and a friend are interested, please email Meryl Brott, Recycling Program Manager. 
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Did You Know?


Did you know...
Cambridge recycles about 125-150 tons of glass curbside each month? And, did you know that to produce  1 ton of glass from raw materials, manufacturers must mine the following:
  • 1,300 pounds of sand
  • 410 pounds of soda ash
  • 380 pounds of limestone 
  • 160 pounds of feldspar
Mining these raw materials are energy and greenhouse gas intensive. When you recycle your empty glass bottles and jars, you're helping preserve the natural environment, while also reducing our impact on climate change. 

Unlike plastic and paper, glass (and aluminum) can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality. 

Where is glass sorted and recycled?
Currently, glass collected curbside is sorted in Charlestown, MA and eventually recycled in Franklin, MA.  Not all glass recycling is created equal though. Glass containers with a $0.05  bottle deposit (all carbonated soft drink, beer, and sparkling water containers) is best recycled at a Bottle Redemption Center . Utilizing a Redemption Center helps reduce costs to sort glass from other recyclables at the Single Stream recycling facility in Charlestown. All other empty glass containers should then be placed in your curbside recycling. 

Be sure to recycle your empty glass containers (broken glass is OK. But, no food residue)
No light bulbs, mirrors, or windows: each of these have different properties making them unable to be recycled via municipal collection. Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL) contain toxic mercury and must never be put into curbside collection. 

Document Shredding Date: March 11, 2017

The Cambridge Consumers' Council  will be helping residents safely dispose of unwanted records at a free document shredding event. 

Saturday March 11, 2017: 9:30am-1:30pm
Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave.

FYI, shredded paper is less recyclable than non-shredded paper. Also, the shredding truck can only accommodate  a certain volume of paper.  With that being said, please be conscientious of how much you're shredding. Records with bank account information or Social Security numbers should be prioritized. 

Can't make it to this event? Staples charges $0.99/pound to shred paper.
Stay in the loop!
for 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 12pm 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 2017 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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