Recycle Right: DPW Takes on Effort to Reduce Contamination in Curbside Recycling

In an effort to keep trash and other unacceptable items out of recycling carts, Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) will deploy staff to perform curbside audits this summer. The personnel will place "Oops" tags on carts containing contaminants (non-recyclables items). The “Oops” tags placed on recycle carts are intended to provide direct feedback to residents to not place non-recyclables in the blue recycle carts. Recycling collection for residents will occur as usual.

This effort supports the City’s Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP) 2.0 which aims to improve sanitation and reduce disposal costs. By reducing contamination, we can support the workers that must sort through recycling at the Charlestown recycling facility.

“Recycling is an important part of the City’s efforts to reduce our environmental impact. Minimizing contamination helps us keep our program sustainable financially and environmentally," City Manager Yi-An Huang said.

In 2018, the contamination rate of Cambridge’s recycling was nearly 11%, sparking the City to begin the Recycle Right campaign. By reducing contamination to 4% in 2020, DPW could negotiate a better contract for recycling processing. As a result of low contamination, the City has saved $450,000 since 2020. To maintain this cost savings, the City needs to conduct outreach regularly and the “Oops” tag is the most direct way to provide feedback to residents.

Items that are commonly in the recycling but should not be include:

• Plastic Bags
• Electronics
• Clothing & Textiles
• Paper take-out containers and towels

Visit www.CambridgeMA.Gov/Recycle for more info on how to recycle or reduce waste.