The Devens Eco-Efficiency Center provides a range of waste reduction services that help local establishments reduce waste and hauling costs. Services include the identification of opportunities to eliminate waste, development and strengthening of recycle programs, strategies to reuse waste streams internally and externally, and employee engagement initiatives. Specifically, the center offers the following:
- ]Audits to identify recyclable or reusable waste streams and production efficiency opportunities;
- Waste reduction plans that describe and prioritize strategies to decrease the amount of material sent to the landfill;
- Establishment or expansion of recycle programs, including vendor negotiations, procedures, signage;
- 96-gallon recycle totes for collecting paper and corrugated cardboard;
- Educational materials and outreach activities to engage employees in recycling programs; and
- Diversion of reusable materials that are not needed and avoid the disposal cost.
These cost-saving and resource-saving services are available as a benefit to members.
Recycle – Follow the Law and Save Money
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Waste Ban requires proper recycling of a range of waste streams. Enforcement activities of this law (310 CMR 19.017) are increasing and solid waste haulers are prevented from dumping loads that include a significant amount of recyclable materials, including glass bottles and jars, metal containers, plastic containers with a recycle symbol, paper, cardboard, paperboard products, and batteries (lead-acid, rechargeable, and button).
In house recycling programs can facilitate compliance with this regulation as well as decrease a firm’s waste management costs by reducing the amount of solid waste that needs to be disposed. Programs that capture a significant amount of paper or plastic materials could even generate some revenue!
Organics Diversion
A new commercial organics waste ban, that went info effect in 2014, prevents the disposal of more than one ton of organic waste per week.
The Devens Eco-Efficiency Center can assist with diverting unserved and uneaten food scraps. The technical assistance includes:
- Site visit to assess logistics, identify materials and quantity that can be diverted
- Collection of waste data and calculation of cost analysis/projection
- Assistance with hauler identification, arrangement and negotiations
- Staff training and customized signage.
Resources for restaurant and meeting facility managers:
Our resources can help you understand what’s involved and how a program can fit in your venue. We have an overview of why you should consider implementing a compost program. “How to compost” is another fact sheet that covers frequently asked questions, program implementation and logistics, employee education, post evaluation, and more. This resource also includes a worksheet that can be used to identify materials to be diverted from the trash and estimate new disposal costs with the compost program and potentially improved recycling.
Devens Eco-Efficiency Center 