The recycling industry has been facing added pressure due to increased contamination in our recycling stream. Products and packaging have become more complex, leading to confusion about what does and doesn’t belong in curbside recycling. To help clarify what can be recycled, the City of Cambridge has joined with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection as part of their “Recycle Right” campaign.
The statewide effort is focusing on getting the correct items into curbside recycling and reducing contamination.
“The most common items we find in curbside recycling that don’t belong are plastic bags, plastic film, plastic and wire hangers, clothing and textiles, and electronics,” said Cambridge Public Works Commissioner Owen O’Riordan. “There are ways to divert these materials from the landfill, but curbside recycling is not the correct way. Putting these items in your curbside recycling results in costly issues at our contractor’s facility.”
Cambridge is committed to reducing waste. Curbside recycling began in 1991, and since then Cambridge residents have diverted millions of pounds of cans, bottles, paper, and cardboard from landfills.
To continue to educate residents about what should and should not be placed in curbside recycling, DPW staff will begin more closely monitoring curbside recycling carts.
If they find contamination, they’ll leave a note on your recycling cart about what was incorrect and follow up with an informational postcard.
To assist with disposing of waste properly, the Department of Public Works (DPW) launched the Zero Waste Cambridge app. The web and mobile app includes a search feature to look up how to properly dispose of thousands of items.
For more information, visit CambridgeMA.Gov/Recycle.