Zero Waste in MA

Our state’s landfills and incinerators pollute the air and water of neighboring communities. The aging Wheelabrator incinerator in Saugus, MA, for example, has had four fires in just the past few years - fires that release toxic chemicals into the air! Unfortunately, Massachusetts produced 5.9 million tons of waste in 2020, falling short of its own waste reduction goals, and actually increasing 7.4% from 2019. But most of that waste is actually made up of materials that don’t need to be thrown in the trash including things that could have been recycled or composted, like cardboard, glass, paper, metal, leaves, yard waste, and food scraps.

We need the Commonwealth to get serious about reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators. We will continue to support local activists in Saugus, MA in their fight to end operations at the toxic and unjust Wheelabrator incinerator and work for a just transition that stops the pollution and creates a zero waste solution to our waste crisis. We need to make less waste, not build more polluting facilities.

• Read the September 2022 Report we released with the Zero Waste Massachusetts coalition: "The Need to Enforce: Waste Ban Regulations in Massachusetts"
• Check out this press release from the Zero Waste Massachusetts coalition: Ten zero waste ideas for the next governor of Massachusetts
• We launched our award-winning ReThink Disposable campaign in Massachusetts!  Help your favorite restaurant make the switch from disposable plastic dining ware to durable reusables!