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In accordance with the requirements of
Section 8.24.070 of the Cambridge Municipal Code,
the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works
hereby adopts the following rules establishing
recycling requirements for commercial establishments.
A.
Purpose and Declaration of Policy
B. Contact Information
C.
Definitions: The following definitions shall apply
in these regulations
D.
Applicability of Regulations
E.
Designated Recyclable Materials
F.
Recycling Options
G.
Responsibility of Generators of Recyclable Materials
H. Severability
A.
Purpose and Declaration of Policy:
In March 1991, the Cambridge City Council passed
an ordinance requiring residents and commercial
establishments in the City of Cambridge to recycle
certain materials rather than dispose of these
materials as refuse. Under the ordinance, the
Commissioner of the Department of Public Works
may promulgate regulations regarding recycling
practices of commercial establishments operating
in Cambridge. These regulations written pursuant
to the ordinance are designed to give businesses
further guidance regarding recycling requirements.
B.
Contact Information:
For further information regarding the Mandatory
Recycling Ordinance, Section 8.24.070 or Commercial
Recycling Rules and Regulations, please visit
the City of Cambridge Recycling website at www.cambridgema.gov/theworks.
Click on Divisions and then Recycling. The Recycling
office number is (617)349.4879 and mailing address
is: Department of Public Works, Recycling Division,
147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
C. Definitions:
The following definitions shall apply in these
regulations:
- Aluminum – Aluminum
cans, aluminum foil, and aluminum containers
or trays used in packaging, preparation, or
cooking of food.
- Commercial Establishment –
Any non-residential building, including, but
not limited to, those used for retail, wholesale,
industrial, manufacturing, dining, offices,
professional services, automobile services,
hotels and motels, restaurants, or shipping
and receiving areas.
- Contracting agent - The entity
that contracts for the private collection and
disposal of refuse for a commercial establishment.
This may either be the owner of the property
(who either passes along collection/disposal
costs as part of the rent or as a separate charge),
his/her agent, or the tenant/lessor. The circumstances
will vary depending on the property agreement
- Corrugated cardboard - Paper
in which a portion has been made to have a wavy
surface (alternating ridges and grooves) and
is placed between two flat surfaces for the
sake of strength, and which is commonly used
to form cartons. Does not include linerboard
or paperboard such as cereal boxes or clothing
liners.
- Drop-Off Center –
A City operated recycling center located at
147 Hampshire Street open to residents, and
Cambridge businesses/non-profit organizations
with 50 employees or less.
- Drop-Off Center accepted materials
– During open hours, the Recycling
Drop-Off Center accepts mixed paper, white paper,
books, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic
containers, Styrofoam, plastic bags, unmarked
plastic containers, non-alkaline batteries,
clothing, fluorescent bulbs, CDs, VHS tapes,
and Mercury containing devices.
- Glass containers –
Bottles and jars, made of silica, sand, soda
ash, and limestone, being transparent or translucent,
and used for packing or bottling of various
materials. This does not include plastics or
glass products such as laboratory glass, window
glass, blue glass, flat glass, mirrors, plate
glass, light bulbs, dishes or ceramics.
- Landlord – Owner,
manager, and/or lessee.
- Leaves – Deciduous
and coniferous seasonal disposition from trees.
- Magazines – Publications
printed on glossy, clay-coated paper.
- Newspaper – Newsprint-grade
paper, the common, inexpensive machine-finished
paper made chiefly from wood pulp, which is
printed and distributed, and includes all newspaper
advertisement, comics, and enclosures. This
does not include newspapers soiled by food,
paint, petroleum products, oil or oil solvents,
or other solid wastes that are not recyclable.
- Office Paper – Printed
or unprinted sheets, shavings, and cuttings
of white sulphite or sulphate ledger, bond,
writing, and other papers which have a similar
fiber and filler content, and which are free
treated, coated, padded, and heavily printed
paper, carbon paper, and non-paper materials.
Includes computer and laser printout.
- Person – Any firm,
institution, partnership, association or corporation,
public or private, organized or existing under
the laws of the state or other states including
federal corporations.
- Plastic containers –
Clear and colored bottles and jugs for food,
beverage, and laundry materials made from high
density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene
terephythalate (PET) plastics, excluding containers
for use in chemical, laboratory, or automotive
applications, and excluding caps and lids.
- Recyclable Materials –
Any type of refuse designated by the Cambridge
Commissioner of Public Works through rules and
regulations issued under this section to be
separated for recycling.
- Recycling Plan – A
plan submitted to the City that includes information
on which recyclable materials comprise 5% or
more by weight of the waste stream, how the
commercial establishment will handle those recyclable
materials and a description of other materials
that are being recycled.
- Refuse – Rubbish and
recyclable materials.
- Rubbish – All perishable
and non-perishable refuse generated by commercial
establishments excluding items designated as
recyclable.
- Scrap metal – Used
or discarded items which consist predominantly
of ferrous metals, aluminum, brass, copper,
lead, chromium, tin, nickel, or alloys thereof,
including, but not limited to large appliances
such as refrigerators and stoves.
- Steel – All containers
composed in whole of iron or steel (so-called
tin cans) used as containers for the packaging
or storage of various food and non-food items,
except containers of paint or petroleum based
solvents, and any pressurized aerosol cans.
- Storage battery –
Batteries used in motor vehicles, airplanes,
boats, recreational vehicles, tractors, and
the like application, or other lead-acid batteries.
- Waste Audit – Compiled
information submitted to the City that includes
the type and weight of individual recyclable
materials generated and total tonnages of other
waste generated.
- Waste oil – Crankcase
oil that has been used in internal combustion
engines.
- Wood waste – Wood
pallets, logs, large branches, boards, stumps,
and other wood not defined under yard waste.
- Yard waste – Grass
clippings, weeds, hedge clippings, garden waste,
and twigs and brush not longer than two feet
in length and one half inch in diameter.
D.
Applicability of Regulations:
These regulations apply to any person who generates
refuse in Cambridge.
E. Designated
Recyclable Materials:
The following materials shall be designated as
recyclable materials.
- Asphalt Pavement, Brick and Concrete
- Batteries (lead-acid)
- Cathode Ray Tubes (TVs and computer monitors)
- Cardboard
- Glass Containers (clear, green, and brown)
- Leaf & Yard Waste
- Metal Containers (aluminum, stell or bi-metal
beverage and food containers)
- Paper
- Plastic Containers (single-resin narrow neck)
- Scrap Metal
- Tires (whole)
- Wood
All materials subject to Massachusetts Waste
Bans are considered designated recyclables in
addition to the above list. The City reserves
the right to add or remove recyclable materials
as defined in these regulations at any time.
F. Recycling
Options
- Recycling Drop-Off Center:
Free option available to Cambridge businesses
and non-profit organizations with 50 employees
or less. <<MORE
- Private Hauler:
Recycling haulers serving Cambridge:
Click
here for a flyer with this list and
a chart of the services provided by each hauler.
G.
Responsibility of Generators of Recyclable Materials:
1. Recycling Requirement: All
commercial establishments shall be required to
separate designated recyclable materials generated
on the premises, which represent greater than
five percent by weight of the establishment’s
total refuse and shall arrange for the collection
for recycling of these materials. These materials
must be source separated and kept in a condition
to meet minimum market standards.
In instances where space for storage of the recyclables
is limited, the City would allow for an exception
to source separation on site, provided that all
other options have been exhausted and it is documented
in writing to the City prior to the change. Tenants
in a commercial building must recycle any designated
mandatory recyclable material that represents
greater than or equal to 5% by weight of their
trash, even if that material is less than 5% of
the building’s total trash. Landlords with
gross lease arrangements with any or all tenants
must either total all tenants’ waste audit
figures or do a building-wide waste audit to submit
one building plan.
Landlords offering gross lease arrangements must
provide centralized storage containers and recycling
service for any designated recyclable material
generated in quantities of 5% or more by weight
of the refuse of any one tenant. Landlords offering
exclusively net lease arrangements must submit
the information indicated on the Recycling Plan
form and a list of all tenants.
2. Program Responsibility: Program
development, implementation and operation shall
be the responsibility of each commercial establishment.
Each landlord must also submit a Recycling Plan
for the building. In cases where the landlord
is the contracting agent for refuse disposal in
a building, the landlord shares joint responsibility
for developing, implementing, and operating the
recycling program in conjunction with commercial
tenants.
3. Recycling Plan: Each commercial
establishment and each landlord of a building
housing a commercial establishment must submit
a Recycling Plan to the Commissioner of Public
Works using hard copy or online forms provided
by the City. All establishments must submit an
updated plan when requested by the City or within
60 days of any changes to the currently filed
plan. These plans, unless otherwise noted, must
include:
- A waste audit
- A description of the process by which recyclable
materials are to be segregated from the waste,
including what materials are to be separated
- Identification of how the recyclables will
be collected and transported to market.
- Information on the process used to notify
and educate tenants/employees of the recycling
requirements
Recycling haulers and drop-off centers used must
have a certificate on file with the City of Cambridge
Recycling Division that certifies that they are
a bona fide recycler.
4. Update to Recycling Plan:
In the event that there are any changes to the
currently filed Recycling Plan, the commercial
establishment and/or landlord must inform the
Commissioner of Public Works in writing with 60
days of the change. This includes, but is not
limited to, changes in tenants, management companies,
elected recycling option, or percentage of recyclable
materials by weight in the waste stream.
The plan shall be submitted by the commercial
establishments and its landlord.
5. Storage of Designated Recyclable Materials:
It shall be the responsibility of the commercial
establishment and/or landlord to provide and keep,
at its own cost, a sufficient number of containers
to hold all designated recyclable materials which
may accumulate during the intervals between collection
of such recyclable materials. Any such containers,
or any designated storage locations, shall not
interfere with public or private sidewalks, walkways,
driveways, roads, streets, highways, or entrances
and exits of public or private buildings shall
be in compliance with all applicable laws, including
Fire and Health laws. Containers shall be of sufficient
quality and design so as to maintain the marketability
of the recyclable materials.
6. Education Program: It shall
be the responsibility of all commercial establishments
to adequately inform all employees and/or resident
users and patrons of the requirements of the recycling
program. The required educational program, at
a minimum, shall include written instructions
to all parties identifying the materials to be
recycled, how the materials are to be prepared,
how to use the collection system, and updates
detailing any changes in the program.
7. Penalties: Commercial establishments
failing to adhere to any of these requirements
will be subject to administrative penalties outlined
in Section 8.24.070(J) of the Cambridge Municipal
Code.
H.
Severability:
The provision of these rules shall be severable
and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph,
subsection, or section of these rules, or the
applicability thereof to any person or circumstance,
shall be held invalid, the remainder of these
rules and the application thereof shall not be
affected thereby.
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