March 2026

GREEN CART CHRONICLE

Spring Edition

From the City of Newton DPW

Sustainable Materials Management Division

Review of 2025 Recycling Accomplishments

The season of renewal is upon us which makes it a great time to share news about the benefits of recycling. Here are some highlights of what Newton diverted from the trash in 2025.

This waste diversion wouldn't be possible without you, so thank you! And a special thanks goes out to our more than 100 volunteers who give their time to encourage our community to recycle, reuse, and therefore generate less trash.

Our total residential trash tonnage for 2025 was 16,667 tons. This is a 0.6% decrease from 2024. Newton's trash generation has decreased by 47% since 2003. Residential recycling tonnage has decreased in recent years. Fear not! This is primarily caused by an overall "light-weighting" effect; the stuff we put into our recycling bins now weighs less than the stuff we put into our recycling bins 10 years ago.

Perhaps you wonder if recycling is worth the effort? The answer is, YES!

The reason recycling is important is that it is a source of materials for manufacturers and at the same time it saves valuable materials from being incinerated and buried in a landfill. If you recycle only the materials pictured in the Massachusetts Smart Recycling Guide, at least 90% of them will be sold to make into new products, that means our recycling system is working. Additional benefits of keeping recyclables out of the trash: it conserves our natural resources and habitats; it's a much more efficient and less polluting way of producing materials than mining and logging; it creates more jobs than trash disposal; and importantly, it is a way you can do something positive everyday.

If you would like to test out your recycling knowledge, take this two minute quiz and share it with family and friends.

Still curious? Check out this quick video about what happens to your recyclables after you put them in the cart.

Waste Diversion in Newton Public School Kitchens

We are pleased to announce our most recent collaboration with the Newton Public Schools (NPS) School Sustainability Working Group to rollout a new waste diversion effort in all NPS kitchens. The goal of this effort is to divert more material from the kitchen trash to more sustainably manage waste.

NPS has 21 kitchens where contracted food service staff prepare food to serve to Newton's 12,000 students. We began our efforts by visiting with kitchen and custodial staff at each school to review what should go in the kitchen recycling bins. These recyclables from the school kitchens are similar to those that should go in your household recycling bins. We also delivered bins and signs to improve collection efficiency.

In addition to maximizing recycling efforts, we trained staff on collecting food scraps (leftover food, expired items, and inedible food parts) separately from the trash. The collected food scraps are then sent to an anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digestion captures naturally occurring methane gas and uses it as fuel, instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. As a result of keeping food scraps out of the trash, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This work to more sustainably manage waste and protect our environment relies on many school staff and custodians and we greatly appreciate their partnership.

Want to learn more about how to reduce the amount of waste in your home or place of business? At our Newton Sustainable Materials Management website, you can get details about what to recycle and where and what to do with food scraps.

Questions about NPS Sustainability efforts? Contact Stephanie Gilman at gilmans@newton.k12.ma.us.

Tip of the Month

Keep our Lakes, Ponds and Rivers Clean by Managing Yard Waste

Please bag, mulch, or compost your yard waste this spring, and do not rake leaves, grass clippings, or other debris into the street. Never push yard waste into storm drains. Debris blocking storm drains can cause flooding and create safety concerns for motorists and pedestrians. Residents are encouraged to clear debris from nearby storm drains, if feasible, or call Customer Service at (617) 796-1000 (M–F, 8:30 am–5:00 pm) to request that a drain be cleared.

Leaves and other organic yard materials are an important part of the natural environment. Left on the ground, they decompose, feeding your plants, supporting pollinators and birds, and enriching your soil. However, when yard waste is washed off lawns and driveways into storm drains and local waterways, it releases phosphorus and nitrogen, contributing to water pollution.

The first week of yard waste collection is March 23rd. This collection schedule is weather dependent, meaning if it snows, the collection timeline will change.

As a reminder, Newton residents are welcome to drop-off yard waste all year round at the Resource Recovery Center located at 115 Rumford Ave. Click here for more details.

Here's a green tip: help pollinators and reduce weeds; place fallen or mulched leaves in your garden bed. Learn more about the benefits here.

Help protect our yard waste collection staff!

All bags/barrels must be less than 50 gallons or 50 pounds
Branches must not stick out of the bag/barrel unsafely
Bags/barrels not in compliance will be rejected

Material of the Month

Metal: The Most Recyclable Commodity

Metal is highly valued because it can be recycled indefinitely. In our curbside program, only empty metal cans, clean metal trays, and foil are accepted. However, the City accepts a much wider range of items for scrap metal recycling at the Resource Recovery Center—from small items like hinges and screws to larger household goods like pots and pans. Large metal items such as appliances, shelving, bed frames, and grills can be dropped off at no cost or picked up by the City for a fee.

Aluminum cans are a strong example of efficient recycling. MassDEP previously analyzed the aluminum recycling process and found that a recycled can can return to store shelves in as little as 60 days. Beyond aluminum, many household items are made from highly recyclable metals like steel, copper, and tin. Because metal retains its value, recycling it conserves natural resources and helps reduce overall recycling costs.

Upcoming SMM Events and Services

March 23: Yard waste curbside collection begins

April 1: Newton's Resource Recovery Center (RRC) begins Spring operating hours

April 4: Household hazardous waste collection events begin at RRC

April 11: Paper shredding & shredded paper & medication take-back event at RRC

April 18: Fix-It Clinic at Newton Free Library

April 23: Swap Shop reopens at RRC

Wondering How to

Get Rid of Something?

The RECYCLE RIGHT NEWTON app Empowers you to

Get a schedule and updates (helpful in the case of delays due to winter storms)
Find out what is recyclable and where it should go
Set reminders
Test your recycling skills with a fun video game

Download the free app today in the App Store or Google Play.

No smartphone? No problem.

Use the website version.

Spring Cleaning?
Newton's Resource Recovery Center Can Help!

Come on down and see us! Click here for a list here of what we of accept and our hours of operation.

All items are free to recycle
except TV's/monitors and mattresses/box springs.

Winter hours thru March

Monday-Friday 7:00am-2:30pm Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm

What can I recycle, compost, & donate at the RRC?

We accept more than 25 categories of items. Here are some of the most popular items we accept all year round:

Cardboard, Styrofoam
Textiles (clothing, shoes, linens)
Food scraps (also called compost)
Batteries, electronics
Scrap metal, metal appliances

Note: WE DO NOT ACCEPT TRASH or PLASTIC BAGS.

Plastic bags/wrap/air pillows should go in the trash OR click here to find out how to recycle them at a retailer or grocery store.

Want to Buy Less & Smarter? The Newton Free

Library Can Lend You Help!

Looking to try something different in 2026 and might it require special equipment or tools?

You are in luck-- SMM and the Newton Free Library have a lending "Library of Things".

There are many items to choose from, including instruments, games, and adaptive equipment, so try something new and learn about what you can borrow from the Newton Free Library's, Library of Things!

What We Are Reading and Listening to

The MassRecycle podcast series on a variety of recycling topics! (MassRecycle )

A quick introduction to Newton's Resource Recovery Center (Mayor Marc Laredo's newsletter- video link)

17 ways to reduce food waste in the kitchen (Foodprint)

In NH, gleaning taps into surplus crops to combat hunger (Boston Globe)

MassDEP food waste ban boosts business (MassDEP)

Iowa firm recycles wind turbine blades into concrete (Resource Recycling)

A Disney World hack for free stuff? ‘Buy nothing’ groups. (Washington Post)

Turning old fire hoses into high fashion (60SecDocs- video link)

Get Connected

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Mayor Laredo's Email Updates

Learn about the latest news at City Hall and around Newton.

Newton’s Office of Climate and Sustainability
Newsletter

And check out their social media pages-- great resources to help you stay up to date and learn how you can get involved in Newton's updated climate action plan.

City of Newton

Department of Public Works

Sustainable Materials Management Division

1000 Commonwealth Ave

Newton, MA 02459

617-796-1000

recycling@newtonma.gov