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Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is a valuable legal tool to shift the costs of a product’s waste management away from taxpayers and onto the manufacturers. In this episode, Gretchen interviews Waneta, MassRecycle’s resident EPR expert, on her experiences with EPR and product stewardship throughout her career. They discuss the evolution of EPR policies in Europe and in the U.S., and the challenges in holding producers fiscally and operationally responsible for their products. Waneta explains how the current process of passing EPR policies works (and doesn’t work) in Massachusetts, and how the MassPSC (Massachusetts Product Stewardship Council) plays a major role. Tune in to learn what we can do to move EPR forward and make sustainable product management a win for manufacturers, consumers, and the environment. The post Episode 61: EPR Explained: Policy, Product Stewardship, and Producer Responsibility first appeared on MassRecycle.

When a key state grant vanished, one Cape Cod town’s marine debris recycling program nearly sank. Mike Cicale, foreman of the Wellfleet transfer station and former MassRecycle Board member,  joins Gretchen and Waneta to share how the town responded, navigating messy reimbursement rules, vendor mix‑ups, transportation snags, and the steep learning curve of grant management to keep the project afloat. With help from neighboring towns, Wellfleet turned informal regional partnerships into real power. They repurposed existing equipment, found revenue in scrap metal, and kept old oyster nets, lobster traps, and other debris out of the water. It’s a story of creativity, collaboration, and keeping a good idea going when the funding dries up. Thank you to Reworld for sponsoring this episode.The post Episode 60: When the Funding Dries Up first appeared on MassRecycle.

The Boston University  “Goodwill, Not Landfill” team faced a recurring challenge after student move‑out: thousands of pounds of good-quality bedding left behind that Goodwill couldn’t accept due to sanitary concerns. In response, Maria Gorret Nampiima, a graduate student in the BU School of Theology’s Faith and Ecological Justice program, with support from BU Zero Waste Manager Sarah Healey and a cross-campus team of invested faculty and staff, launched a volunteer-powered effort to launder, sterilize, and redistribute the bedding directly to local people who needed it most. In this episode, Maria and Sarah join Gretchen and Waneta to share how the project began, how it’s expanding, and how the intersection of sustainability and social justice provides the foundation for its success. Thank you to Reworld for sponsoring this episode.The post Episode 59: When Sustainability Meets Social Justice first appeared on MassRecycle.

Do you suffer from “Extreme Litter Awareness”? Neil Rhein does, and he has turned that constant noticing into a statewide mission. As the founder and executive director of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful (KMB), Neil joins Gretchen and Waneta to talk about the litter he cannot help but see in public spaces across the Commonwealth and how KMB is working to address it. Through town‑wide cleanups and youth education programs, KMB is inspiring the kind of behavior change that builds lifelong environmental stewardship. Community action is powerful, but it cannot stand alone. Neil explains why legislative support and partnership between volunteers and local governments are essential to keeping Massachusetts litter‑free without putting extra strain on municipal budgets. He also highlights Senate Resolve 2390, now before the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee, which would create a statewide Litter Prevention and Cleanup Task Force. Neil shares what this initiative could accomplish and how listeners can help move it forward before the legislative session ends on July 31. Thank you to Reworld for sponsoring this episode.The post Episode 58: Litter, Legislation, and the Path to a Cleaner Commonwealth first appeared on MassRecycle.

Want a bird’s‑eye view of how far recycling has come in the last 30 years, and where it’s headed next? In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta chat with Brian Taylor, senior editor at Recycling Today Media Group. Brian shares how recycling trends have changed since he entered the industry in 1997 and how Recycling Today has grown and diversified its offerings in response. There’s plenty of good news: more types of materials are being pulled from the waste stream and put back to work, from metals to organics and beyond. But the challenges are real, too. Misinformation still clouds public understanding, and policy change continues to lag behind what’s possible. Brian, Gretchen, and Waneta discuss topics such as hurdles in plastics recycling, the growing push for extended producer responsibility, and ultimately why the sustainable materials management sector remains one of the most dynamic, innovative, and future‑focused fields to work in. Thank you to Reworld for sponsoring this episode.The post Episode 57: The Changing Face of Recycling: Insights from Recycling Today’s Brian Taylor first appeared on MassRecycle.

Source: Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta talk with Anthony Novelli, executive director of the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District, about what it takes to operate a modern landfill. From the initial design, to the construction of the liner, to the choices of materials used for daily and intermediate cover, each decision has to ensure that waste is contained, contamination of groundwater is eliminated, and methane gas is controlled – all while efficiently handling the tons of waste delivered each day. Learn how the Crapo Hill landfill meets those challenges and adapts to novel situations to ensure its longevity and serve its community. Thank you to Reworld for sponsoring this episode.The post Episode 56: Don’t Call It a Dump!: Inside a Modern Landfill first appeared on MassRecycle.

What if spaces were intentionally designed to optimize waste diversion and zero waste practices? In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta talk with Cory Page, landscape designer and alum of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD). As a student at GSD, Cory noticed that the setup of the waste and recycling system in the main school building was inadequate. Materials such as foam board and aerosol cans, common in the design studios, were not disposed of properly. The placement of trash and recycling bins throughout the building was inefficient. Cory launched a student-led initiative, the GSD Zero Waste Project, to address the issues. Learn how Cory used input from students, educators, and custodial staff, combined with solid design principles, to transform the system into one that effectively handles 15 different waste streams and promotes reuse, recycling, and community stewardship of materials. Thank you to Reworld and The Association of Plastic Recyclers for sponsoring this episode. The post Episode 55: Designing for Zero Waste: How Space Shapes Behavior first appeared on MassRecycle.

Few recyclable materials generate as much skepticism as plastics. In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta welcome Steve Alexander, president and CEO of the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), to paint a clear picture of the current state of plastics recycling. The US recycles 5-7 million pounds of plastic annually, but where does that plastic come from, and what happens to it after it’s recycled? Steve addresses issues such as confusion about what plastics can be recycled, why virgin plastic and imported recycled materials undermine domestic recycled plastic, how designing plastic products for recyclability helps support the circular economy, and much, much more. Thank you to Reworld and Cell Phones for Soldiers for sponsoring this episode. The post Episode 54: The State of Plastics Recycling first appeared on MassRecycle.

Shoes are not just an item of clothing; they are our main form of transportation. In this episode, Gretchen and Waneta welcome Dr. Yuly Fuentes, Project Manager for Fiber Technologies at MIT and Program Director of the MIT Climate Project, to talk about shoes and sustainability. Did you know that over 23 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually across the globe? Or that Massachusetts has long been a nexus for the global shoe industry?  Dr. Fuentes takes us through her work addressing the sustainability issues caused by shoe manufacture and disposal. Her initiatives include The Footwear Collective, a group of leading footwear brands that collaborates to develop circular solutions for the footwear industry, and DESCIENCE, a collaboration between fashion designers and scientists. Listen to learn more about how Dr. Fuentes is working to reduce the environmental footprint of the global shoe industry. Thank you to Reworld and Cell Phones for Soldiers for sponsoring this episode.   The post Episode 53: Putting Our Best Foot Forward: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Shoes first appeared on MassRecycle.

In this episode, we spotlight Cell Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit that’s been bridging the digital divide for over 20 years. With 10,000 devices collected monthly from unique sources like MBTA lost and founds, funeral homes, and municipalities, they give forgotten phones a second life – connecting veterans and active-duty military members with vital communication tools. Learn how their R2-certified facility safely refurbishes devices, deletes sensitive data, and supports 1,300 veterans with subsidized phones – aiming to reach 30,000 in the coming years. Discover how you can get involved at cellphonesforsoldiers.com or by emailing [email protected]. Reuse, reconnect, and make a difference! Sponsored by Cell Phones for Soldiers and Reworld. The post Episode 52: Cell Phones for Soldiers first appeared on MassRecycle.

In this episode of the MassRecycle Podcast, Waneta and Gretchen are joined by MassRecycle Board member and former NEWMOA Executive Director Terri Goldberg and Dave Allaway a senior policy analyst in the Materials Management Program at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Together, they explore the importance of comprehensive, carbon-based emissions inventories—highlighting why we must account for the carbon impact of goods beyond state lines. The conversation emphasizes the need for thorough accounting and actionable solutions, focusing on reducing emissions through smarter purchasing choices and consuming less. This topic coincides with the release of the MassRecycle White Paper, A Call to Action on Materials Management & Climate Change, which will be unveiled at the MassRecycle Conference in March 2025. The post Episode 51: The Hidden Carbon Cost: How Our Stuff Fuels Climate Change—And What We Can Do About It first appeared on MassRecycle.

In this episode Waneta and Gretchen are joined by John Fischer, Deputy Division Director for Solid Waste Materials Management at MassDEP, and Delia Camacho, a Vice President at AshBritt.  A disaster management plan is something every municipality needs, but is also something that gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Delay no longer: You need a plan.  In this episode you will get guidance, resources, and the jump start you need to put together a plan for your municipality.  The post Episode 50: Disaster Debris Management first appeared on MassRecycle.

In this episode, Waneta and Gretchen sit down with Mary Ann Remolador, of the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), to discuss her decades of experience in waste reduction and recycling. Mary Ann shares her insights on the evolution of recycling programs across the Northeast and the role of NERC in advancing sustainable materials management. Tune in for a deep dive into the intricacies of recycling with one of the field’s most experienced leaders. The post Episode 49: An Insider’s View with Mary Ann Remolador first appeared on MassRecycle.

Waneta and Gretchen are joined by Jan Ameen, Executive Director of the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District to discuss her research into what to do with vape devices.  Complicated regulatory issues surround the components of these devices, from controlled substance concerns to battery disposal issues. We usually talk about recycling, but some vape devices have no end point whatsoever. When there is nowhere to put something, it goes into the waste stream and the inherent dangers are put on the waste workers.  What do we do with these devices at the end of life? The answers are not straightforward, but there are some options. Listen and learn more about this complicated, and growing issue. The post Episode 48: Vaping Device Disposal first appeared on MassRecycle.

Waneta and Gretchen are joined by Gail Sowerder Garron, Regional Planner for MassDEP, and Alison Beucler, Sanitation and Hazardous Material Program Manager for the City of Somerville, to discuss food waste diversion in K-12 schools. Food waste contributes significantly to the overall waste generated by schools. Discover the successes and challenges of existing programs, ranging from administrative initiatives to student-led efforts. There’s no single approach to starting a program, and you will learn from their experiences and access resources for your district. If you are a volunteer or school employee, reach out to [email protected] for Green SWoRD School Waste Reduction and Diversion resources. The post Episode 47: Organics Diversion in K-12 Schools first appeared on MassRecycle.