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About MassRecycle

What is MassRecycle?

MassRecycle, founded in 1989, was organized in response to a need for statewide advocacy to establish recycling programs. Its founders and early members recognized that widespread recycling would help to conserve natural resources, energy, landfill space and open space. More recently, recycling has been recognized as an essential component of any comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions. The economic benefits of recycling have become evident by the over 19,000 recycling jobs and the estimated $600 million that recycling contributes to the Massachusetts economy.

MassRecycle is a statewide coalition of individuals, governments, businesses, institutions and non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting and realizing the vital environmental, social and economic benefits created by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste materials, and by increasing the utilization of recycled products.  Our members include recycling coordinators in all 351 municipalities in Massachusetts, individual residents, non-profits serving western Massachusetts to the Boston area, and businesses across the state.


MassRecycle plays an important role in the Commonwealth’s recycling activities by:
  • Providing educational and networking services to the diverse members of the recycling community. At the moment, municipal officials are the group most involved in these activities, including the regional Municipal Recycling Councils and trainings.
  • Assisting MassDEP in communicating with municipal waste and recycling officials by providing the necessary organizational framework for conducting workshops, meetings and tours, and by publishing MassDEP information in the newsletter.
  • Being a voice of the recycling community in the state legislature. MassRecycle’s efforts focus on the state budget, the organization consistently tracks waste and recycling related legislation and mobilize the recycling community in support of legislation deemed beneficial.

What is the problem?

Today, Massachusetts residents and businesses
  • Create more waste than ever before: 1.3 tons per person a year. 
  • Throw out more than half of all recyclable and compostable items.
Not recycling means:
  • Exporting 1.5 million tons of trash to other states every year.
  • Causing local governments to spend over $100 million to landfill and burn recyclables.
  • Contributing to climate change as landfilling and incineration creates more greenhouse gases than recycling.

What do we do?

Strengthen Local Recycling Programs by educating municipal staff and volunteer recycling committees, maintaining a recycling listserv and organizing bulk purchases of recycling hardware.  Our Listserv is primarily used by municipal officials exchanging ideas and seeking advice on programs. This exchange allows municipalities to replicate successful recycling programs without "recreating the wheel."

Educate Business and the Public through workshops on sustainable business practices, green purchasing, coordinating the first ever statewide paper recycling campaign and by organizing tours of recycling facilities.

Network and Communicate with municipalities through regional Municipal Recycling Council (MRC) meetings.  MassRecycle publishes a newsletter that encompasses state, regional, and local information on recycling and waste management programs.  The goal of our newsletter is to share information and to educate our members on issues that affect recycling in the Commonwealth.

Advocate for Recycling in the Legislature by educating legislators, providing expert testimony and working to preserve state funding for recycling programs.  During 2003 winter season, MassRecycle was successful in generating 1,000 letters and phone calls to the Governor's office to request level-funding for recycling in the state budget.  This action came about because the Governor had indicated that he was completely eliminating recycling funding.  Our efforts played a large role in reinstating the funding.  We also track legislation that will affect recycling and will testify in committee hearings, when apprpriate. 

Reward Champions
by presenting the annual Green Binny awards to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding efforts in recycling and waste reduction.


Who is MassRecycle?

Board of Directors

2009-2010 Officers

President: Dmitriy Nikolayev, MA Operational Services Division
Vice President: Ann Dorfman, Consultant
Treasurer: Tony Basile, Eagle Recycling LLC
Secretary: Laurie Sabol, Ayer Recycling Committee
Member-At-Large: Terry Grady, Electronic Recycler's International

Judy Briggs, 1-800-Got-Junk
George Camougis, Consultant
Terry Connolly, Citizen
Christine DeRosa
, Integrated Paper Recyclers, LLC
Richard Gaudette, RecycleBank
Ben Harvey, E.L. Harvey & Sons, Inc.
Matthew Libby, AbitibiBowater
Meg Morris, Covanta Energy
Linda Paquet, Citizen
Danielle Piscatelli, Citizen
Angie Sottile, City of Newton
Claire Sullivan, South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Andrea Yonge, Casella Waste & Recycling


Recycling Council Chairs

MassRecycle's Councils were created to address particular needs, interests, and timely issues of its members who share common concerns and unique recycling experiences. The Councils advance the mission and goals of MassRecycle. For upcoming meetings, check out the Events page.

Central Municipal:
Irene Congdon, Municipal Assistance Coordinator /Central District

Northeast Municipal:
Ann Dorfman, Consultant

Southeast Municipal:
Kathy Mirza, Municipal Assistance Coordinator/Southeast District
Doris Burtman, Town of Norwood

Western Municipal:
Arlene Miller, Municipal Assistance Coordinator /Western District

Staff

Jessica Wozniak, Executive Director
Contact for: website, fundraising, The MassRecycler, memberships, Green Ribbon Friends and general inquiries.

Molly Fraust, Paper Campaign Manager
Contact for: Mass Recycles Paper


MassRecycle, Inc.
60 Thoreau Street, #203
Concord, MA 01742
Phone: (617) 338-0244
Email: info@massrecycle.org