Mass. Commercial Food Waste Ban

CET can help your business or institution comply with the new Mass. commercial food waste disposal ban. The ban, which comes into effect on October 1, applies to any entity that disposes of more than one ton of organic waste each week. CET has helped hundreds of organizations, such as Big Y Supermarkets (read the case studyopens PDF file ), set up successful, cost-reducing composting programs. Contact us to learn more! Call the RecyclingWorks hotline: 888-254-5525.

Recycling and composting at your business

opens IMAGE file Waste reduction activities like recycling and composting can help save money, decrease environmental impact, keep your business in regulatory compliance, improve employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices and products. CET has implemented and strengthened waste reduction programs for businesses and institutions of all sizes across Massachusetts with a proven track record of success. We can assist your business in setting up or improving existing recycling and composting programs. For more information, download our Restaurant Food Waste Diversion Guideopens PDF file .

Wasted Food Solutions

We’ve built a website that gives businesses, service providers, and policy makers access to the resources they need to address one of our biggest challenges: wasted food.

CET acts as a catalyst to accelerate the development of a vibrant marketplace to divert wasted food from the commercial and institutional sectors. We have been a leader in the wasted food reduction and diversion movement for more than 20 years, implementing some of the first wasted food composting programs in the country, and contributing to effective public policy.

We believe that better managing wasted food is critical in order to address climate change, feed more hungry people, and grow our economy. If you are a city, state or federal agency, industry group or foundation, and want to tackle the issue of wasted food, please contact us!

wasted food web

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts

The Center for EcoTechnology has partnered with MassDEP to bring you RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, a recycling assistance program designed to help businesses and institutions maximize recycling, reuse, and composting opportunities.

RecyclingWorks services include:

If you have any questions or need direct assistance for your recycling program, call our Recycling Hotline (888) 254-5525 or info@RecyclingWorksMA.com — our Waste Experts are available to help you.

Understanding the State Waste Bans: Waste Bans and your Business

In an effort to reduce the volume and toxicity of trash disposed of in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has implemented waste bans on certain hazardous, recyclable, and compostable materials. The restrictions (or bans) on disposal began in 1990, and material types have been added over time to eliminate the most prevalent materials in the waste stream for which there are viable alternatives to disposal.

Current Waste Ban Materials include:

  • Recyclable Paper and Cardboard (link to info on these areas)
  • Glass/Aluminum/Metal/Plastic Containers
  • Leaf and Yard Waste
  • Cathode Ray Tubes (TV’s and Computer Monitors)
  • White Goods (Major Appliances)
  • Asphalt Pavement, Brick, Concrete, Wood, Metal and Clean Gypsum Wallboard – often referred to as Construction/Demolition Materials (C&D)
  • Tires
  • Lead Acid Batteries
  • EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2014: Commercial Food Waste Disposal Ban

These bans apply to municipal, commercial and industrial waste loads disposed of, contracted for disposal, or transferred for disposal through Massachusetts facilities. The haulers and generators of these materials are responsible for ensuring that the banned materials do not end up in the waste loads. If banned materials end up in a load of trash, “failed loads” may occur at a disposal site.