Massachusetts tenant was told trash would be sorted later, but officials say that never happens

The disappearance of recycling bins at a Malden, Massachusetts, apartment building pushed one renter to look more closely at what residents were told about their trash — and what she found didn't match reality.

At the roughly 50-unit property where Grace Wexler lives, residents were told they could combine recyclables with regular garbage because another facility would sort them later. State officials and Republic Services say that is not how the process works.

Here's what to know

Residents at Wexler's building received an email from the management company, CMS Partners, saying the separate recycling bins had been taken away because the waste provider would sort recyclables from trash elsewhere. That explanation led Wexler to contact reporters, according to GBH News.

Both the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Republic Services said that explanation was untrue. The state DEP said companies in Massachusetts cannot recover recyclables after collecting them with trash. 

Republic Services also said in a written statement: "As a matter of company practice, Republic Services does not operate facilities or collection programs that intentionally blend recyclable materials with trash as part of the normal collection process. Recycling and waste streams are managed separately, and our operations are designed to support compliance with applicable local and state requirements."

Wexler said the dumpster's contents made her suspicious. Looking inside, she saw "cans, there's glass, there's cardboard, there's everything." After learning the materials were not actually being sorted, she told GBH News: "Ah, that sucks. I mean, I'm not surprised, right? That's what I thought. But it sucks because someone is not being honest."

Abbey Massaro of the nonprofit MassRecycle said, "It is absolutely not an outlier." A 2024 report by The Recycling Partnership cited by GBH News found that only about 43% of Massachusetts households in multifamily housing have access to recycling.

More background

For larger apartment buildings in Malden, recycling often depends on private service arrangements rather than public pickup. Massachusetts law does not currently require recycling service in multifamily buildings. In Malden, city recycling pickup covers only buildings with six units or fewer, while larger properties must arrange private trash service without any requirement to include recycling.

Because rules differ from one municipality to the next, renters often have to rely on landlords and property managers to decide whether recycling is offered. Kirstie Pecci, executive director of the nonprofit Just Zero, said access "does vary a lot from city to city and town to town," according to GBH News. 

That leaves many renters dependent on landlords and management companies to provide basic waste services that can help keep recyclable materials in circulation and reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills.

Cardboard, cans, and bottles are among the materials that cannot legally be thrown away in Massachusetts. However, enforcement appears to be limited. Despite the scale of the issue, the DEP sent 14 letters and imposed a single fine in 2025.

What's being done?

After GBH News asked questions, the DEP sent a warning letter to CMS Partners, and Wexler noticed that recycling bins had returned to the property in reduced numbers. "There used to be three," she said. "But two is better than nothing."

State Rep. Michael Day of Stoneham has repeatedly supported one possible policy fix. According to GBH News, his bill would require apartment buildings to provide recycling. 

"The fact that it's not available to all residents of the commonwealth is what surprised me when I first got into office, which is why I drafted and introduced this legislation to say if you are hauling trash or if you're disposing of trash, you have to offer recycling opportunities as well," he said. 

The state also contracts with CET to run RecyclingWorks, a free program that helps apartment and commercial buildings improve compliance through training, signage, composting guidance, and other support. Lorenzo Macaluso of CET said, "We are here to at no cost help them come back into compliance."

As the DEP put it in a written statement: "Trash should never be mixed with recyclables. Enforcing proper disposal is a persistent challenge with multi-family housing across Massachusetts. Unlike single-family homes, many multi-family residents are not served by municipal programs. MassDEP encourages multi-family property owners to take advantage of RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, our free program offering recycling assistance and resources."

Where can I learn more?

From apartment complexes with murky dumpster rules to cities adding stricter sorting requirements, these stories dig into what happens when recycling systems break down because of contamination, missing services, or confusing rules.

• At another apartment complex, a resident questioned supposed recycling practices after troubling signs near the dumpsters.

• A local policy gap left glass headed to landfills when residents lacked clear guidance.

• In New York City, officials made food-scrap recycling mandatory to keep organics out of trash.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.