Zero Waste in MA

Our state’s landfills and incinerators pollute the air and water of neighboring communities. Unfortunately, Massachusetts produced 6,160,000 tons of waste in 2023, falling short of its own waste reduction goals, and actually increasing 2.7% from 2022 and 8.8% from 2018. We're trending in the wrong direction. 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.

• Take action! Tell the MassDEP to support municipal composting programs and keep more organic and food waste out of landfills and incinerators!
• 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!