North Andover, Massachusetts 978-688-7804

Think You’re Recycling Now? You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Pollution Assessment & Remediation

Think You’re Recycling Now? You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!

Oct 07, 2019

MADEP Releases Draft 10-year Solid Waste Master Plan

On September 27, 2019, The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) released a draft of the state’s updated Solid Waste Master Plan for 2020 to 2030 for public comment.  If you think you’ve been recycling now, you’ve haven’t seen nothing yet!  The outlook for solid waste management in Massachusetts is good, bleak, and full of big changes for everyone who touches trash and construction waste.   Good, because recycling is working; with the quantity of disposed waste per person going down, and a reduction in overall waste disposal even with economic growth – a welcome divergence.   Bleak because the state has an ongoing capacity problem with only one (1) active municipal solid waste landfill remaining by 2025, and temporarily “stranded” loads of construction & demolition waste (C&D) with no place to go, because processing facilities have reached their daily permit limit.  The solution has been to export 21% of the state’s waste to out of facilities mostly by rail as far as Ohio – a costly and big carbon footprint solution.

What’s Ahead

The draft Master Plan sets a goal of reducing waste disposal 30% by 2030, and 90% by 2050.  This will be accomplished by adding a disposal ban on textiles (i.e. carpets, clothing and other woven fabric) and mattresses; improving source reduction and recovery of priority materials – food waste, cardboard, untreated wood, bulky material, and single use packaging; and spread responsibly throughout the supply chain – generator, hauler, processing facility. Outreach, technical assistance, and enforcement will increase. Changes will come in the form of new regulation and program priorities.


The Master Plan Calls For:

  • 30% reduction in waste disposal by 2030
  • 90% reduction in waste disposal by 2050
  • New Waste bans on textiles and mattresses
  • “up stream” compliance by haulers & producers
  • “up stream” Enforcement and Penalties

SAK’s Services for Solid Waste 

Contact SAK at 978-688-7804 to learn about our recycling programs for generators and compliance services for waste facilities.



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