MassRecycle Podcast

Recycling legend Johnny Gold joins Waneta and Gretchen to talk paper recycling – where it all began and how we got here.  Have you ever wondered how paper drives earn money? How did paper recycling start?  What happens to the paper you throw in your bin?  There is an entire industry behind that paper in your bin and how it becomes that hardcover book or that brown paper towel.  Find out how it all works and what you can do to help make paper out of paper on this episode of the MassRecycle podcast.

Thank you to Good Point Recycling for sponsoring this episode! Good Point Recycling is a nationally-recognized electronics recycling company and a respected expert in Fair Trade Recycling.

The post Episode 41: Make Paper out of Paper: Johnny Gold first appeared on MassRecycle.

In this episode, Waneta and Gretchen are joined by four experts who have dedicated their careers to reducing waste and promoting sustainability on college campuses. Laurie Simmons of UMass Amherst, Sue Higgins of Northeastern University, Sarah Healey of Boston University, and Rob Gogan, retired from Harvard, share their insights on waste reduction, recycling, and creative reuse programs.  Join us as we explore the innovative programs and initiatives that are creating a culture of environmental responsibility that is making a difference on college campuses in Massachusetts.

The post Episode 40: Sustainability on Campus: 2023 Edition first appeared on MassRecycle.

In 2018, China National Sword cut off imports of foreign recyclables and brought recycling in the US to a screeching halt.  In Massachusetts, MassDEP created RecycleSmart: the one stop resource to turn the Wild Wild West of recycling collections into material streams that could be processed domestically.  

Janice Paré, Municipal Recycling Analyst at MassDEP, talks with Waneta and Gretchen about the endless resource that is RecycleSmart and its Recyclopedia.  Is your recycling actually being recycled? Yes, you can even see where it goes by zip code!  What gets in the way of recycling, and what poses a danger to the people that hand-sort your recycling?  All of this and more, in this episode of the MassRecycle podcast.

The post Episode 39: The Recycling Miracle: MassDEP’s RecycleSmart first appeared on MassRecycle.

Pull up a chair and join Gretchen and Waneta in conversation with Terri Goldberg.  Terri has had an extensive career in recycling, solid waste, and pollution prevention.  She is retiring from her role as Executive Director of the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEMOWA).  Join us for this unique opportunity to venture into her decades of knowledge.  

Misinformation about plastics: how did we get here?  Eco anxiety.  Obstacles to recycling progress.  PFAS, toxics, and their role in circularity.  We talk about it all, in this episode.

The post Episode 38: An Insider’s View of Recycling, Solid Waste, and Pollution Prevention. first appeared on MassRecycle.

The post Episode 37: Lithium Batteries: Blowing Up! first appeared on MassRecycle.

Gretchen and Waneta talk with Kelley Dennings of the Center for Biological Diversity about simplifying the holidays and reducing waste. They discuss top holiday waste generators, alternative gift ideas, hosting and decorating, the role of public policy, and the perceived barriers to celebrating with fewer material items. Should you buy a fake or real Christmas tree? Is wrapping paper recyclable? All this and more, in this lively conversation.

Find Kelley Dennings at [email protected]

Great ideas, tools, and information can be found at https://simplifytheholidays.org

The post Episode 36: Simplify the Holidays & Reduce Waste – a Re-Release for 2022 first appeared on MassRecycle.

The MassDEP Waste Disposal Bans are quickly approaching, and MassRecycle has resources for you. In this episode, Waneta and Gretchen interview four textile vendors that take used items and recycle, upcycle, repurpose, or divert them for reuse. Epilepsy Foundation New England, Helpsy, Baystate Textiles, and CMRK, Inc each have a unique operating model that allows them to divert materials from the waste stream while giving back to the communities they serve. 

The post Episode 35: Textile Recycling first appeared on MassRecycle.

Robin Ingethron and Aaron Mintzes join Waneta and Gretchen to discuss the Mining Act of 1872.  This historic push to populate the West with white settlers continues to subsidize extraction and while making it nearly impossible to legally limit mining.  Robin Ingethron is CEO of Good Point Recycling and founder of Fair Trade Recycling. Aaron Mintzes Senior Policy Counsel at Earthworks. Both work to educate the public and reform policy that harms people and the environment. 

Recycling is in direct opposition to mining; reuse of materials rather than extraction of virgin materials. Yet, misinformation has convinced many that recycling is not a viable source for materials.  This needs to change.

Get ready to be outraged.

The post Episode 34: The Mining Act of 1872: still enforced and even worse than you think first appeared on MassRecycle.

This week Leni Fried joins Waneta and Gretchen to talk about the creative projects piloted by the Old Stone Mill Zero Waste Maker Space.  Leni and her partner, Mike Augspurger, founded the Old Stone Mill as a community space for creative reuse, to divert materials from the waste stream, and make repair projects accessible.  Leni talks about their partnerships with local businesses to divert waste through upcycling, creative reuse, and connecting materials that would be discarded with people that have use for them.  These projects are just the tip of the Zero Waste Maker Space iceberg; find out about all their good work in this episode.

The post Episode 33: Upcycle. Reuse. Divert. Creative Waste Reduction with the Old Stone Mill first appeared on MassRecycle.

This episode is what we all need right now: reasons for hope from the world of solid waste, and also some commiserating with your fellow materials management professionals.  MassRecycle board members join Waneta and Gretchen to share their pet peeves, serious concerns, and reasons to be hopeful about the future of solid waste.  Have you been feeling the need to see that proverbial silver lining?  Would you rather have a little commiseration?  Do you want some insight into the world of materials that just “go away”?  Listen now and get the behind the scenes view, and maybe a little sympathy.

The post Episode 32: Pet Peeves & Reasons for Hope from the Solid Waste World first appeared on MassRecycle.