Cambridge Seeking Public Comment on Draft Version of Zero Waste Master Plan

The City of Cambridge has embarked on a path to Zero Waste to build upon its current waste management system and programs. The development of a Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP) and strategy is intended to assist with achieving the City’s goals of reducing waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The public is invited to review a draft version of this plan and send comments through March 15, 2019, to recycle@cambridgema.gov.

The recommendations developed for the ZWMP will help support the Department of Public Works’ (DPW) guiding principles of providing high-quality public services, protecting and supporting the health of employees and the public, and managing costs and reducing trash. Learn more about how the City's 25,000 tons of trash, recycling and composting is sorted - what's landfilled, incinerated, recycled and composted - in Appendix 1 of the Zero Waste Master Plan.

The Zero Waste Master Plan (ZWMP) will guide the City in:
• Meeting trash reduction goals of 30% reduction by 2020 and 80% reduction by 2050 from 2008 waste levels.
• Maintaining high quality public services to manage waste disposal
• Maximize operational efficiency
• Protecting employee health and safety
• Evaluating costs for managing waste
• Exploring the impact of waste reduction on GHG emission goals

The ZWMP will also coordinate with the efforts of the citywide comprehensive plan, Envision Cambridge.

For more information, visit CambridgeMA.gov/zerowastemasterplan.