The Recycle Smart Team is taking a "newsletter break" this summer to focus on other projects. In the meantime, we wanted to share some of our favorite reads from the last two months. We'll be back with our regular deep dive newsletter before you know it. "See you" in September!

From an early age we are taught that “sharing is caring.” We encourage our kids to take turns sharing their toys, books, and snacks with siblings and friends. While this certainly can cut down on toddler temper tantrums and bickering, you may be wondering what sharing has to do with reducing waste?

Overwhelmed by your spring decluttering project? You are not alone. American homes are filled with more than 300,000 items, and this only includes visible objects. It does not include everything tucked into dresser drawers and cabinets or stored away in boxes — and tuck away and store we do!

Do you remember life before plastic grocery bags? When “produce bags” meant small brown paper bags and we wrapped sandwiches in waxed paper bags? For most of us, these are distant memories, if that. Plastic grocery bags first hit U.S. supermarkets in 1979 after taking European markets by storm in the 1960s. Since then we’ve developed a serious plastic bag habit.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, The Recycle Smart MA team is thrilled to share this inspiring article written by Sofie Green, Maureen Hennessy, and Bethiah Peirce. These three young women are all 8th graders in Medford and part of the Medford Girl Scout Troop 68137.

Raise your hand if you know exactly what we mean when we talk about organics in the waste stream. If you couldn’t raise your hand, don’t worry. The term “organics” can be confusing and vague. Depending on where you are, you might hear “leaf and yard waste” referred to as organics, or you may see organics referred to as “compost.”

There’s a lot to love about aluminum cans, and not just because they contain some of our favorite beverages. The pandemic spiked a huge demand for aluminum cans as Americans bought record amounts of canned beverages to consume at home while local bars and restaurants were forced to close their doors.

2020. What a year. A global pandemic, a stock market crash, Black Lives Matter protests, murder hornets, wildfires along the West Coast and in Australia, Space-Ex launched astronauts into space, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving the royal family – what’s next?

Have you ever looked in your closet and decided you have NOTHING to wear? Turns out, you are not alone. According to a 2018 survey done by Nordstrom Trunk Club, 61% of the 2,000 Americans they surveyed experience “wardrobe panic” despite having a closet full of clothes.

In honor of the 23rd  anniversary of America Recycles Day on November 15 (and a do-over for Earth Day), the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has compiled a month of informative programming we’re calling Reduce, Reuse, Recycle-palooza!

Dear Wicked Smart Recycler,

I just found out black plastic isn’t recyclable and my go-to restaurant uses black plastic take-out containers. I want to support local businesses during this critical time. Help! What do I do?

The paper recycling mill called… they want your pizza boxes. Ok, maybe you haven’t received the call personally (yet) but the U.S. box manufacturing industry wants Americans to know that their pizza boxes..,

Dear Wicked Smart Recycler,

I get that you can only recycle plastic bottles, jugs, jars and tubs here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, my favorite coffee comes in a non-recyclable plastic pouch. It’s #PlasticFreeJuly and I don’t know what to do – help!

Dear Wicked Smart Recycler,

I recently watched a special about plastic recycling and now my head is spinning. I found out that all of the plastic that I’ve been recycling is either ending up in the ocean or going to developing countries where it is being burned or dumped...

Meet Moe. Okay, his real name is Ed but “Ed Says No” just didn’t have the same ring to it. You may recognize Ed (er, Moe) from the Recycle Smart social channels reminding you what wacky items shouldn’t go in your recycling bin...

It’s the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, and boy, have we come a long way since the first one. Let’s take a quick trip back, shall we? ...

Inspired by our friends at the City of Cambridge, the Recycle Smart Team wanted to share some tips for how to reduce waste while you are practicing social distancing. You may be getting less use out of your reusable coffee tumbler lately...

We wouldn’t normally recommend breaking up on Valentine’s Day – but when we reflect on our love/hate relationship with single-use plastics – sometimes enough is enough...

While recent news stories about recycling might have you believe otherwise, the answer is an emphatic no, recycling is not a wasted effort. The cans, bottles and paper you put in your recycling bin are part of an important supply chain..

Massachusetts residents can expect a blizzard of boxes this holiday season with the U.S. Postal Service estimating it will deliver a mind-boggling 910 million packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year...

With the holiday season fast approaching, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about the topic on all of our minds…. food. Despite our love of Thanksgiving leftovers – it turns out we aren’t that good at gobbling up all of our food, especially at the holidays...

While clothing and other textiles do not belong in your recycling bin - that doesn't mean they belong in the trash! Here’s a staggering fact: the amount of clothing that is thrown away each year in the United States has increased 43 percent between 2003 and 2013...

Whew – it’s been one hot summer! Let’s talk about another “hot topic”: mercury. Specifically, batteries that contain mercury. In this issue, we’re doing a deep dive into batteries (all kinds!) and what to do when you’re finished with them...

Winchester has kicked its recycling program up a notch. The effort is part of the state-wide initiative Recycle Smart by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Read the full story...