MassRecycle Podcast

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...

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...

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? ...

Photo credit: Eater Boston This week Audrey Ng and Mike Orr join Waneta and Gretchen to explore sidewalk exchange, and the growing movement of community “Freedges”, around Boston. Audrey is the Water and Sustainability Project Manager for the Boston Public Schools District and organizer with the South End Community Fridge. Mike is the Recycling Director for the City of Cambridge.  They discuss nei...

In light of the upcoming 2022 mattress waste ban, Waneta and Gretchen interview MassRecycle member organizations UTEC , HandUp and Green Mattress about their mattress recycling programs.  Waneta also discusses the role of Extended Producer Responsibility in this issue, and the potential for new legislation.  The post Episode 30: Mattress Recycling first appeared on MassRecycle .

In this Valentine’s Day special episode, Gretchen and Waneta, with the help of Board member Rob Gogan, interview three couples who found each other while following their passion for waste diversion. The post Episode 29: Recycling Romance 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 wr...

Gretchen and Waneta talk with Dona Neely of The Great Exchange in Devens, Mass about their amazing reuse program there. Business clean outs and manufacturing extras turn into resources for non-profits, schools, teachers, and daycares. 

Gretchen and Waneta talk with Paul Franceschi of the Boston Area Gleaners about gleaning: the harvesting of surplus farm crops to preventing waste and expand local food access. Paul talks about their work and how they were able to help when the world needed it most in 2020. 

Learn about existing programs and new ways to help make colleges and universities become more sustainable.  Gretchen and Waneta talk with Alex Freid, founder of the  Post-Landfill Action Network ( PLAN ),   In 2013 Alex and his fellow college students witnessed a systemic waste problem on their campus and developed the first student-led, financially self-sustaining Zero Waste move-out program of i...

Gretchen and Waneta learn all about the stormwater system and its many intersections of waste management from MassDEP pro Laura Schifman.  More info here:   https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stormwater  

Gretchen and Waneta interview Graeme Durovich, Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator on the Island of Nantucket about the specific challenges of creating waste on an island. They cover special rules, litter issues, seasonal changes, and other topics that make Nantucket a unique waste environment.  Nantucket-ma.gov/242/solid-waste-recycling  

In MA, bags do not belong in the bin, but there is a system for recycling them.  Gretchen and Waneta learn all about how plastic bags can find a second life as composite lumber during this interview with Stephanie Hicks from  Trex.com Wondering if your local grocery store is really collecting for recycling? Tune in- there is a list available to the public! The post Episode 22: How to recycle plast...

Gretchen and Waneta are joined by Reagan Bissonnette of the NRRA ( Northeast Resource Recovery Association ) to talk about the effect of Covid 19 on recyclable material, the recycling industry, and the commodities markets.  

Gretchen and Waneta interview Khrysti Smyth Barry from the Center for EcoTechnology about their many free resources available to businesses and property managers.  Learn about opportunities for guidance and helpful tools to recycle more, lower food waste, save energy, and conserve water on this podcast and at  www. RecyclingWorksMA.com  

Recently the media has pointed out the connection between Big Oil and recycling, leaving you to believe that recycling is a scam. Guest speakers from Preserve , Rehrig Pacific , and GreenLabs Recycling explain how the industry has come a long way since then. 

Gretchen and Waneta get into the weeds with Patti Howard from Covanta, discussing unusual opportunities for reuse and diversion as well as things that really shouldn't go to a waste-to-energy facility.

Gretchen and Waneta talk to former Board Member, Phil Goddard about community relations from a municipal perspective.

Gretchen and Waneta talk with Board member Deb Darby about compostable dishware, the real  meaning of the term "biodegradable", and the most sustainable way to run a Zero Waste event while avoiding greenwashing. Learn more from Biodegradable Products Institute .

Gretchen and Waneta discuss recent changes for recycling in Massachusetts: what doesn't go in, and what no longer goes in, and why.  The conversation is based on  www. RecycleSmartMA.org , the statewide guidelines for recycling in MA. 

Gretchen and Waneta invite MassDEP's Ann McGovern back to talk all about home composting.

Gretchen and Waneta talk about the many food waste systems: how they work, where it goes, what it becomes, and how to successfully set up a system that works for you (and your organization).

Katherine Butler from the Center for EcoTechnology joins Waneta and Gretchen to talk about the coolest new opportunity for reusing and buying salvaged building materials. https://ecobuildingbargains.org/

Gretchen and Waneta do a deep dive on MassRecycle: the Board, the focus, and recent changes, as well as new offerings and opportunities for members.

An in-depth interview with MassDEP's Ann McGovern about the Green Team and recycling in K-12 schools: resources, curricula, and success stories. Check it out at https://thegreenteam.org/