Haverhill, Massachusetts, begins recycling education program

To ensure residents are recycling correctly in the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts, inspectors will begin examining the contents of curbside recycling bins. Additionally, the company that collects the city’s recyclables has told city officials that will charge extra fees for contaminated loads.

The move to tag carts is part of the Recycle Smart initiative launched by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

According to The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Massachusetts, carts that contain improper materials will be tagged with a notice that they will not be picked up in the future if they continue to contain such materials.

Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini told the newspaper the city has received $42,000 from the Recycle Smart initiative to help educate residents about proper recycling practices.

Amanda Buckley, Haverhill’s solid waste and recycling coordinator, tells The Eagle-Tribune that Haverhill will use some of the funds for an education campaign, including mailers, to inform residents about the types of materials that are accepted for recycling.

"Recycling efforts have saved the city more than $2 million in reduced trash disposal costs since we began citywide curbside recycling in 2010," Fiorentini told the paper. "We want recycling in the city to continue and to get even better, so we are always looking at how we can improve how we do it."

Recycle Smart directs residents to empty and rinse containers prior to placing them in recycling carts. It also reminds residents that plastic bags, plastic wrap and recycling in plastic bags are not welcome in the curbside recycling program. Also forbidden are clothing and linens, hoses, wires, chains and electronics. Recycle Smart directs residents to the Recyclopedia for specific items they might be uncertain about recycling.

The Eagle-Tribune notes that Haverhill received its $42,000 grant from the commonwealth's DEP based on a formula that award points for various components of a city’s recycling program, including whether the city has 64-gallon trash carts, subsidizes composting bins for residents and provides mandatory recycling enforcement and an inspector position.