February 2024 Newsletter

2023 Waste & Recycling Reporting; Talking Trash Event; Top 5 Compost Contaminants;

February Collection Calendar; March Book Swap;

What We're Reading and Listening To

SalemRecycles' mission is to reduce trash tonnage in the City of Salem by increasing recycling, diverting reusable items, and motivating city stakeholders through education and information.

2023 Reporting

In 2023, Waste Management (WM) collected 11,204.03 tons of solid waste (trash) in Salem through the municipal solid waste program. That's 255.61 tons less than in 2022!

We're moving in the right direction!

Below is a summary of how many tons Salem residents diverted from the solid waste stream in 2023 via various programs:

Curbside recycling – 3,593.42 tons

Yard waste (transfer station & curbside through WM) – 509.44 tons

Food waste (Black Earth Compost) – 236.24 tons

Textiles (Helpsy & Baystate Textiles) – 55.79 tons

Mattresses & Box Springs (Tough Stuff Recycling) – 31.52 tons

Let's do even more in 2024!

Talking Trash in Salem Event

Trash Talk in Salem

Composting Wins and Community Building Efforts to Reduce Waste & Beautify Salem

February 28 at 7 pm

SAFE invites our community to meet at Salem Access TV Studios, or via hybrid at home, to tune into a conversation with Janelle Rolke, Salem's Waste Reduction Coordinator; Henry Mehmet Gulergun, Chair of Salem's Beautification Committee; and Joel Dashnaw, Chair of the SalemRecycles Committee.

Join SAFE to hear how these leaders are driving changes that promote local waste reduction and beautification. Let's celebrate the wins and come together to hear how to support the vision for the future.

Top 5 Compost Contaminants

Our friends at Black Earth Compost would like to remind subscribers how to keep our compost bins clean and contaminant free!

Top 5 Contaminants

GROCERY STORE PRODUCE BAGS- 99 out of 100 times these are plastic. Even the green ones impersonating certified compostable bags are plastic and should stay out.

FOOD PACKAGING- Please take the extra step of removing your food from the packaging before tossing it in the bin.

TAKE OUT CONTAINERS- These must be certified compostable to go in the bin. We know this is tricky because of the lack of clear labeling on the containers. You can check your packaging on the BPI website. When in doubt, toss it out.

FRUIT STICKERS- These little suckers are plastic and the hardest to screen from the compost so we've created a game to make removing them fun. Give it a try.

DOG AND HUMAN DOO-DOO- While theoretically compostable, we do not accept them, including compostable diapers.

Tough Stuff Recycling Salem Spotlight!

The latest issue of The Tough Stuff Recycling Blog highlights TSR's partnership with the City of Salem and what we've accomplished together!

Municipal Partner Spotlight: The City of Salem reports that with the help of Tough Stuff – a mattress recycler based in Fitchburg, Massachusetts – Salem recycled over 1,600 mattresses since starting the program in November 2022.

By keeping mattresses and box springs out of Salem's trash, we're reducing incineration and pollution overall. Recycling mattresses also gives their materials a second life, enabling reuse in products such as rug pads. Roughly 80% of a typical mattress is recyclable.

Salem began partnering with Tough Stuff following the passage of a state regulation that bans the disposal of mattresses. As a result of the ban, Salem residents can no longer put mattresses and box springs out with the trash.

The good news: it's easy to schedule a pickup! Call Tough Stuff at 978-307-4118 or visit the company's website to schedule curbside service. Currently the charge to residents, payable directly to TSR, is $20 per unit. (Residents may request a hardship waiver here.)

In the event of inclement weather, you'll need a mattress recycling bag. Please visit the Engineering Department on the second floor of City Hall Annex, 98 Washington Street, or the DPW at 5 Jefferson Avenue. Again, bags are ONLY necessary if there is rain/snow on the day of your scheduled pickup!