Consumer Recycling

Recycling Basics

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts implemented a waste ban in 1992 prohibiting the disposal of glass, metal, paper, and other recyclable items in household trash. Every town on Cape Cod has a recycling facility, typically located at a municipal transfer station. Residents and visitors are encouraged to explore the options to recycle in their town.

The environmental benefits of recycling are well-known, and include: reducing the need to mine and harvest new, raw material; reducing greenhouse gasses; and reducing the carbon footprint necessary to create new products.

Recycling Infrastructure on Cape Cod

Fourteen out of fifteen Cape Cod towns operate a 'transfer' station, where trash and recyclables are collected. Trash is transfered to a waste-to-energy facility (SEMASS) in Rochester, MA.  Bourne operates a solid waste management facility, which includes a landfill and a recycling center.

Each Cape Cod town collects a wide variety of recyclable materials and contract with different recycling vendors to obtain the best rate for each recyclable product. In some cases, the best rate can be aquired through co-mingling/single-stream recycling, while other towns are more successful bidding on sorted recycling material.

Economics of Recycling

Beyond the environmental impact of recycling lies the fact that it is almost always cheaper to dispose of recyclable materials than it is to dispose of solid waste/trash. Most towns pay approximately $40.00/ton for solid waste disposal, plus additional fees for transport. These fees are expected to more than double before 2015. In the case of recyclables, many can be sold for a profit and almost all recyclable can be disposed of at rate far below solid waste disposal. 

Most transfer station stickers excede $100/year and contracts with solid waste haulers (curbside pickup) are far greater. With the cost of solid waste disposal expected to double or triple in the next 4 years, it is essential to increase recycling rates in order to maintain disposal costs at their current rates. A recent study conducted by Franklin County Solid Waste found that up to 85% of "trash" was actually recyclable or compostable material.

If recycle rates stay at current levels, the cost of transfer station stickers and private trash pickup is all but guaranteed to skyrocket.