Newton Climate News
March 5, 2026
| | | Spring Cleaning is Here: Tackle the Task Sustainably | | |
With warmer temperatures and daylight savings time right around the corner (this Sunday!), you might be starting to think about sprucing up your space.
Often, that task involves decluttering and swapping out heavy winter clothes for spring options (maybe a bit too optimistically...). Responsibly donating or recycling everything from your unwanted clothes to books to other household items may feel daunting, but thankfully, there are excellent options in and around Newton. Here are some resources for repurposing, recycling, or donating:
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Clothing and household goods. Clothes and goods in clean, usable condition can be dropped off at the Swap Shop (see categories of acceptable items here), Goodwill, Global Thrift, Restoration Project, Sister Thrift, Saves, Salvation Army, and Thrift Shop of Boston.
- Note that the Swap Shop opens on April 23, 2026.
- Worn, torn, or stained clothing can be dropped off at a Helpsy textile reuse & recycling bin or through Helpsy curbside pickup. Find more information and bin locations here.
- Interested in information on reselling/consigning or repairing your clothes? Check out this Wirecutter article on responsibly purging old clothes.
- Many dry cleaners take back wire hangers, and many florists happily take back vases.
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Books. Books in good condition can be dropped off at the Book Shed (located at the Newton Resource Recovery Center).
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Bikes. Bikes Not Bombs, based in Jamaica Plain, accepts bicycles.
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Building Materials. Consider donating to Habitat for Humanity Restore or Boston Building Resources.
If you have large quantities of donations every year, it may be time to consider changing your own consumption habits. By buying less, choosing to reuse or borrow items, repairing what you have, shopping locally, and investing in quality over quantity, you can reduce waste and lower your carbon footprint. Consider resources on the City's Reuse webpage, like Newton's Library of Things or Fix-It Clinics.
| | Image description: Clothing, books, and a scarf in a donation box, with plants in the background. | | Draft BERDO Regulations: Public Comment Now Open | | |
The draft Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) regulations are now available here for review and public comment. (Review the Newton BERDO website for more background information about BERDO.)
Regulations were created by City staff, with input from the BERDO Advisory Commission. These regulations explain the process of reporting energy use and emissions, following compliance rules, and meeting emissions standards.
Comments are accepted via email to newtonberdo@newtonma.gov through April 1st.
| | Image description: Home Energy Help event graphic. | | Eversource Smart Meters Coming Soon to Newton | | |
In the coming months, Eversource will be replacing all electric meters in Newton with smart meters that have the latest technology. Eversource provided the following information to help ensure residents are aware of this rollout.
What is a smart meter?
A smart meter is a digital electric meter, similar to a current customer meter, that transmits near real-time data to a network device, which then provides the data to Eversource’s information systems over their own secure, private communication network. Customers’ personal information is not transmitted.
Installation process and timeline
While we don’t know the exact day and time that your meter will be exchanged, you will receive multiple notification letters from Eversource in the three months leading up to the work. If you are signed up for outage alerts through Eversource, you may also receive a notification 1-3 days ahead of your meter exchange.
You do not need to take any action ahead of your meter exchange and you do not need to be home if your meter is accessible. A technician will knock on your door as a courtesy to let you know they’ve arrived. You may experience a brief power outage, typically 5 minutes or less, while your meter is exchanged. If your meter is not accessible, the installer will
leave a door hanger with a phone number to call to set up an appointment.
Benefits of a smart meter
These meter upgrades are part of a statewide rollout that will give customers new levels of control and insight into their energy usage. You’ll be able to view the information collected by your smart meter through your Eversource online account or Eversource’s free mobile app, letting you monitor and manage the energy you use. Over time, you’ll be able to take advantage of new tools, including:
- High usage alerts
- High bill alerts
- Projected bill amounts
- Automated outage reporting
Questions?
To learn more about smart meters, including the installation process and answers to commonly asked questions, please visit the Eversource Smart Meters webpage.
| Image description: Graphic showing a smart meter with the headline "Smart meters are coming." | | Newton Leads the Way: Apply for Our Climate Action Microgrant Program | | |
The City of Newton and The Village Bank’s Climate Action Microgrant Program provides grants of up to $2,000 to support community-driven climate action and resilience projects.
This program is rooted in a simple belief: fighting climate change and preparing communities for its effects is a shared responsibility—and a shared opportunity. Whether your idea is big or small, experimental or proven, individual or collaborative, we want to help you make it real.
The program supports local projects that align with at least one of its three goals:
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Climate mitigation: Projects that directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Climate resilience: Projects that strengthen our community’s ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to climate change.
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Climate engagement: Projects that bridge the gap between climate awareness and action, fostering the adoption of sustainable behaviors.
Applications are reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply at newtonma.gov/microgrants.
| | Image description: Climate Action microgrant flyer. | | |
In more than half of U.S. states, including Massachusetts, lawmakers are considering legislation that would boost adoption of balcony solar. See the full article from Canary Media.
A massive battery project near Boston could showcase an alternative to expanding the power grid. Read more from Canary Media.
The New England Heat Pump Accelerator website is now live. Through December 2029, this regional program will expand heat pump adoption through collaboration with distributors, contractors, policymakers, and community organizations.
The Boston Globe summarizes the State's 2025 Climate Report Card, which found that federal rollbacks have stalled several targets. On the other hand, significant progress has been made on installing heat pumps in over 100,000 homes and conserving 28% of State lands.
CommonWealth Beacon reports that the State House passed a major energy bill with deep cuts to Mass Save, sending it to Senate. Read more about the bill from Canary Media.
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