March 2024 Newsletter

Six Zero Waste Events; Salem Book Swap; MRF 101; March WM Calendar;

What We're Reading, Watching, 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.

Six Zero Waste Events

Clean Up, Declutter, and Update

Your Look & Library at These Local Events!

The United Nations has set aside March 30 as an International Day of Zero Waste. We invite you to join in this international effort to address the waste crisis by participating in the following local events!

Free Waste Reduction Assistance!

Wednesday, March 20

Want to reduce waste at your business? RecyclingWorks will do on-site waste assessments for participating businesses! Your 30-45 minute assessment will include a summary report and ongoing, customized guidance to help you start or improve a waste education program. Complete the registration form here. Don't delay, space is limited.

Salem State University Zero Waste Swap

Friday, March 22, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm

Ellison Campus Center (ECC) Alumni Plaza

(Rain location: ECC Martin Luther King, Jr. room)

Shop the Swap for clothes, shoes, books, office supplies, dorm décor, and small dorm room items. Everything is FREE! Items to donate? Drop them off at ECC lobby from 12:30 – 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 21 or bring them to the event on Friday. Open to the public!

E-Waste Recycling

Saturday, March 23, 8 am – 12 pm

Salem High School, 77 Willson Road

Drive-through event; more info here.

Free Document Shredding!

Saturday, March 23, 8 am – 12 pm

Horace Mann Elementary School, 79 Wilson Road

Drive-through event

SalemRecycles Free Book Swap & TerraCycle Collection

Saturday, March 23, 10 am – 1 pm

Community Life Center, 401 Bridge Street

See our article below for details and to register to volunteer!

Beautification Committee Litter Cleanup

Sunday, March 24, 10 am – 12 pm

Gallows Hill

We're looking for volunteers!

Learn more:

Salem Zero Waste Week PSA (youtube.com)

Read about the UN's Zero Waste Day.

Free Books, CDs, DVDs & More!

Don't Miss this Community Favorite!

The Salem Book Swap

Saturday, March 23, 10 am – 1 pm

Community Life Center

401 Bridge Street, Salem

Choose from a large selection of books, CDs, DVDs, greeting

cards, puzzles, and reusable shopping bags – all free!

Donations optional. Drop items off at our drive-through at the Community Life Center on Friday, March 22, 4:00 to 7:00 pm, or bring them to Saturday's event.

Don't forget to bring your TerraCycle items!

Click here to see what we're collecting.

We love our volunteers.

Book Swap Volunteer

Registration Form!

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Tour

Members of the city & the SalemRecycles Committee toured the Waste Management Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in North Billerica in February.

The Billerica MRF processes more than 450 tons of materials each day, including Salem's recyclables. During the tour, our group learned how the facility separates materials, using screens for extracting fiber products, magnets for pulling out metal containers, optical sorters for identifying plastics, and eddy currents for repelling aluminum cans.

The tour wrapped up with a look at how bales of commodities are stored for shipment.

Click here to learn more about what happens at a MRF!