Omar Khalid
Cambridge, MA, has offered curbside recycling for over 30 years, and its residents have diverted millions of pounds of recyclables from landfills. The city's recycling center is located at 147 Hampshire St. and is open to residents only. The center accepts various items for recycling, including plastics. However, it is unclear whether plastic number 6 is accepted. The city has also partnered with MassDEP to educate residents about what can be recycled. While plastic bags, wraps, and packing materials like polystyrene foam are not accepted in curbside recycling bins, they can be recycled at most supermarkets and other retailers.
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What You'll Learn
Cambridge, MA, has mandatory recycling
Cambridge, Massachusetts, has had mandatory recycling for over 20 years. The city's recycling program includes curbside recycling and a recycling center.
The city of Cambridge provides a "Get Rid of It Right" tool on its website to help residents determine how to dispose of their waste properly. The city also provides a collection day calendar and map online. The city's recycling center, located at 147 Hampshire St., is open to Cambridge residents only. The center accepts various items for recycling, including household items and electronics. Some of the accepted items include batteries (non-alkaline), books, three-ring binders, bottles, cans, cardboard boxes, CDs, DVDs, video games, cell phones, small appliances, flags, food scraps, metal items, mercury-containing items, and plastics.
Curbside recycling in Cambridge began in 1991, and since then, residents have diverted millions of pounds of recyclables from landfills. However, there has been an increase in non-recyclables in the curbside carts, leading to higher rates of contamination. Common items found in curbside recycling that do not belong include plastic bags, film, plastic, and wire hangers, clothing, and electronics. To address this issue, members of the Public Works Department monitor curbside recycling carts and provide feedback to residents on incorrect items.
Plastic bags and wraps are not accepted in the recycling bins as they can cause damage and worker injuries at recycling plants. Residents are advised to take these items to supermarkets or retailers that accept them for recycling or throw them in the trash if no nearby locations accept them. Additionally, plastic film and bag recycling are available at MIT, Whole Foods on River St, and the Cambridge Public Works recycling center on Hampshire St.
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The city provides a tool to help residents recycle correctly
The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, provides several tools to help residents recycle correctly. One of these tools is the "Get Rid of It Right" tool, which residents can use to determine the best way to dispose of their waste. This tool can be accessed on the city's website or downloaded and printed. Additionally, the city has partnered with MassDEP on a campaign called "Recycle This in Cambridge, Not That" to help educate residents about what can and cannot be recycled. The Public Works Department monitors curbside recycling carts and provides feedback to residents if they find any contamination.
The city also provides a Recycling Center located at 147 Hampshire St., which is a drop-off location for many items that are not accepted in curbside recycling. This includes items such as fluorescent bulbs, mercury-containing items, non-alkaline batteries, electronics, plastic bags, books, three-ring binders, scrap metal items, bulky plastics, and printer cartridges. The Recycling Center is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 7:30 pm and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm.
In addition to these resources, the city of Cambridge offers a collection day calendar and map online, as well as four household hazardous waste collection events per year. Curbside yard waste collection also takes place annually from late March through mid-December, with Christmas trees being collected at the curb from late December through mid-January.
To further assist residents in recycling correctly, the city of Cambridge encourages residents to sign up for their free newsletter, which provides breaking news and alerts directly to residents' inboxes. This way, residents can stay informed about any changes or updates to the recycling program. Overall, the city of Cambridge is committed to helping its residents recycle correctly and provides a variety of tools and resources to make it easier for everyone to do their part in protecting the environment.
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Plastic bags are not accepted in curbside recycling
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, recycling has been mandatory for over 20 years. The city's curbside recycling program accepts a wide range of materials, including paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and some types of plastic. However, plastic bags are notably not accepted in curbside recycling bins.
Plastic bags and flexible plastic wraps, often called plastic film packaging, are recycled differently than bottles and containers. Most curbside recycling facilities are designed to handle rigid items like bottles and containers, which can be easily identified and separated by workers or sortation equipment. In contrast, plastic bags can cause issues in the recycling process, often referred to as "gumming up the works." They can get caught in the machinery, leading to costly maintenance issues and higher rates of contamination in the recycling stream.
Cambridge Public Works Commissioner Owen O'Riordan has stated that plastic bags are one of the most common items found in curbside recycling that don't belong. The presence of plastic bags in the curbside recycling stream results in costly issues at the contractor's facility. Instead of placing plastic bags in the curbside recycling bin, residents are encouraged to reuse them if possible.
For those who wish to recycle their plastic bags, there are alternative options. Many national grocery retailers, such as Kroger, Safeway, Target, and Walmart, as well as many smaller retailers, offer bag recycling collections in their stores. These retailers have dedicated recycling bins specifically for plastic bags and wraps. Additionally, there are thousands of participating retail stores and drop-off centers across the nation that accept plastic film packaging for recycling. It is always recommended to check with your local recycling entity to ensure proper recycling practices.
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Plastic bags can be recycled at some supermarkets and retailers
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, plastic bags cannot be recycled through the city's curbside collection program. This is because plastic bags are a common source of contamination in recycling streams, wreaking havoc on the machinery at recycling centers. However, plastic bags can be recycled at some supermarkets and retailers.
Most plastic bags are made from high-density polyethylene (#2 plastic), while thinner-material bags, like produce bags, are made from low-density polyethylene (#4 plastic). Both types of plastic bags can be recycled at most local grocery stores, including national retailers like Kroger, Safeway, Target, and Walmart, as well as many smaller retailers. The bins are usually located near the front entrance of the store.
Before recycling plastic bags, it is important to remove any receipts, stickers, crumbs, or other contaminants from the bags. It is also recommended to stuff all your plastic bags into one larger bag and tie it at the top, making it easier for recycling workers to collect. Only clean and dry plastic bags should be recycled, and it is important to check with your local drop-off location about any specific requirements they may have.
Black plastic bags, for example, are harder to recycle and may be omitted from store collection bins because the dyed plastic produces dark pellets that limit reprocessing options. Additionally, crinkly plastic bags, like pre-washed salad bags, chip bags, and cereal box liners, are made of different plastics that are less likely to be recyclable.
By recycling plastic bags, you can help to reduce contamination in curbside recycling programs and divert materials from landfills. Recycling a ton of plastic bags saves 11 barrels of oil, and the recycled plastic can be used to create new products like synthetic lumber for decking or park benches.
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The city's recycling centre accepts some plastics
The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has made recycling mandatory for over 20 years. The Cambridge Recycling Center, located at 147 Hampshire St., is the city's drop-off location for household items and electronics. The facility is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Recycling Center accepts a variety of plastics, including plastic bags, bulky plastics such as laundry baskets and pails, and plastic containers. However, it is important to note that not all plastics are accepted. Plastic bags used for frozen food, pre-washed salad, and biodegradable bags are not accepted for recycling at the Center. These should be recycled at supermarkets or other retailers that accept them.
The City of Cambridge provides a tool called "Get Rid of It Right" to help residents determine the best way to dispose of their waste. This tool can be accessed on the city's website, along with information on the latest collection dates and locations for various types of waste. Additionally, the MassDEP Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory allows users to search for specific items and find nearby drop-off locations for recycling.
It is important to properly sort recyclables and non-recyclables to avoid contamination in the recycling stream. Cambridge Public Works Department members closely monitor curbside recycling carts and provide feedback to educate residents about proper recycling practices.
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Frequently asked questions
The Cambridge Recycling Center is located at 147 Hampshire St. in the back right corner of the Public Works yard.
The center accepts plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic containers, and bulky plastics such as laundry baskets and pails.
Yes, frozen food bags, pre-washed salad bags, and biodegradable plastic bags are not accepted for recycling at the center.
Plastic bags can be recycled at the Cambridge Recycling Center, and some local supermarkets and retailers also accept them for recycling.
Plastic film can be recycled at MIT, which has bins for this purpose.
