According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Massachusetts residents can recycle 75% of what we throw in the trash each week. However, only 25% of Massachusetts residents recycle each year. In addition to keeping plastics and other items out of landfills, recycling saves energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It can also be a cost saving measure for your local city and town, and it is becoming more cost effective.
So far, 30 cities and towns across the Commonwealth have begun instituting single-stream recycling programs. Single stream alleviates the need to sort paper and plastic, and allows residents to discard all recyclables into one bin.
As of July 1, the City of Boston became the latest Massachusetts community to institute a single-stream recycling program. A 2007 and 2008 pilot program in select Boston neighborhoods showed that single-stream recycling led to a 50% increase in households recycling. With the program now citywide, a similar response is expected. The city estimates that the new program will not only increase the number of households that recycle, but will save the city money. According to The Boston Globe (Boston to begin no-sort recycling program July 1, June 24, 2009) they expect that single-stream recycling will save the City approximately $1 million dollars a year.
Nearly all Massachusetts cities and towns offer their residents the opportunity to recycle. MassDEP provides a comprehensive alphabetical list of municipal recycling programs on their website.
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