As we celebrate women in waste (and recycling!), 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. Girl Scouts Pledge to Recycle Smart By…
It’s Thyme to Talk Organics. 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…
Can you feel the love? 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. In…
2020: Is it over yet? 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? With all the mind-boggling news headlines, the Recycle Smart Team figured…
What’s in your closet? 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. The average person has 53…
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle-palooza! 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! Because why celebrate just one day in November, when you can celebrate for the entire month? RRRecycle-palooza will feature useful information to get you and your community…
Let’s Talk about Plastic: Are My Take-Out Containers All Trash? 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? Sincerely, Eco-conscious Foodie Dear Eco-conscious Foodie, First off, kudos to you. It’s…
No Matter How You Slice It : American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA): paperrecycles.org 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, including the grease and stuck-on cheese, are a valuable…
Let’s talk about plastic (part 2)… 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! Sincerely, Struggling Coffee Addict Dear Struggling Coffee Addict, First off, kudos…
Let’s talk about plastic… 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. When I…
