Why Crews Might Be Looking At Your Recycling This Week In Newton

NEWTON, MA — Starting this week the Newton Recycling crews will be inspecting curbside recycling carts. Contaminated carts will receive a warning and specific feedback on issues found. Residents who continually disregard warnings might not get their recycling picked up.

Newton’s recycling is contaminated. Some 18 percent of the items collected across the city are considered contaminated. Contractually, the City is required to have a contamination rate of less than 10 percent contamination, from dirty recycleables to non recycable material in the carts.

The city was charged $6,120 in fines last month and has had to pay $65,611 in fines so far in 2018.

With help from a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection the city is working to educate residents and inspect what’s in the recycling carts and to communicate that information to residents.

If you go to pull in your cart and find it's not emptied. That's on purpose. Look for the tag indicating the issue on the cart handle and a follow up letter.

"Once the issue has been corrected, the cart will be collected the following week," said Director of Sustainable Materials Management Waneta Trabert in a letter to residents.

Recycling has become increasingly complex and it's not helped by different rules in different communities.
In Newton contamination in recycling typically comes in two forms, according to Trabert:

• Dirty: Materials that belong in the green cart but are not prepared correctly. For example, contamination occurs when there is still food in a plastic container or a half-filled bottle of juice. Containers should be empty and clean (just a quick rinse) before being placed in the green cart.
• Not Recycleable: Materials that do not belong in the green cart. The most common contaminant is plastic bags. Other contaminants include other plastic film (such as the wrap around a case of bottled water), food, liquids, textiles, toys and electronics.

The only items that belong in the green cart are empty:

• bottles,
• jars, and
• containers made of metal,
• plastic and glass containers from the kitchen,
• containers for the laundry and bath, and
• paper and
• flattened cardboard.

"We believe deeply in diverting waste whenever possible to lessen our environmental footprint. But, unless you are absolutely certain that something is recyclable in the green cart, put it in the trash instead. Think – 'When in doubt, throw it out!' " said Trabert.

Don't forget to download the Recycle Right Newton app or get information at the city website: www.newtonma.gov/recycling.

How To Be A Smart Recycler: MassDEP Column

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff